Rest In Peace

Br John Mitchell

Br John was a simple humble man who spent his life for the service of others in education throughout Australia. John was the eldest of a family of five boys who all went here to De La. Immediately after John left here, he joined the Brothers and taught in Primary schools in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and WA. He did this for nearly 60 years, his last two being back here where his own education had begun. I’d like you to consider two qualities that were obvious in John’s life. His love of family and friends. John’s four brothers had about twenty children between them. John knew every one of them, their spouses and their children, and later their children’s children. He not only knew them but wrote regularly to each of them on birthdays and other important occasions. He kept similar contact with teachers he worked with, students he taught or coached in football and parents of students. He had a mail list of 360 he regularly rang or wrote to. John was way ahead of Facebook. Secondly John was non-judgemental. I never recall John ever saying a bad word about anybody. Perhaps this was why he had so many friends. He loved a chat with anyone, anytime, anywhere. But he never said anything to rubbish somebody either present or absent. If you spoke with John you left feeling better. Now that’s how to make and keep friends. Wish there were more like him.

Br Denis Brian Walker, father of Warren (staff member) Gabriella Taranto, mother of Stefan (Year 11), Ryan (Year 9) and Matthew (2011) Judith Bulman, grandmother of Lachlan (Year 9) and Liam (Year 7) Wendy Hynes, mother of Old Collegians Craig and Jason (1991), Anthony (1990) and Gavin (1988) Wendy was a very active member of the Mothers Auxiliary and contributed greatly to the College over many years Mrs Bobbie Will, (aged 91 years). Mrs Will was the wife of James Will (a former Mathematics teacher in De La Salle after his early retirement with the Department). She herself served as receptionist at Tiverton campus for many years. Rose Conti, sister of Melo (former staff member) Joyce McGaw, grandmother of Andrew (Year 5), Charlie (Year 8), Ben (Year 10) and Jacob (Year 11). Mary, sister of Murray Ennis (current staff member). Marie Fisher, mother of Peter (1962), Michael (1964), Paul (1968), Adrian (Ox) (1971), Greg (1972) and Bernard (1974) and grandmother to Matthew (1988), Tim (1997), Mark (2001) and Steven (2004) Dick Burke father of Trish (current Kinnoull Staff Member) Edna Buckley, grandmother of Richard (Year 12) and mother of Shaun Buckley (Year 7 Coordinator) Frank Thompson, brother of Charles, sister to Christine (both staff members) Tony Hennessy, father of Kathie Holmes (Staff Member) Kathleen Donegan, mother of former students Paul (dec), Peter, James, Mark and John; and grandmother of former students Paul, Andrew, Thomas and Myles. Jill Kendall. Jill was a wonderful English teacher and was in charge of the library during her time at the College Judith Sully, mother of Greg Sully, teacher of Percussion in the Music Department Graham Francis Coyle, father of Paul Coyle, Instrumental Music Teacher in the Music Department

From the Editor

I always say that the first twenty Blue and Golds are the hardest. As this edition is my 21st I have to admit that this was as long a journey as any that have gone before. In 1992 I would sift through perhaps six to seven hundred 6x4 prints that were processed from negatives, desperately looking for a ‘keeper’ or at least a croppable composition. Nowadays people encourage me to believe the digital age has made life for editors so much easier. I remind them that after locating and collecting all the images left on various hard drives and College networks, blogs and internet sites, there would be in excess of 25,000 images, such is the ubiquity of digital cameras with large memory chips, and the frenetic pointer fingers of their operators. Not easy to coordinate, but on the upside one has an abundance of images to crop. I would like to thank the photographers and contributors to this year’s production. Special thanks to photographers James Liu, Nick Ponissi, Dale Tralongo, Trish Woodman, Ken Stokes, Shane Mackintosh, and of course the Outdoor Eddies, especially Michael Wilson. Thank you Susan Jost for proofing. Special thanks to Peter Harte for his many reports and his generous time coordinating sports photos. His easy good humour makes work a pleasure. If you find mistakes in this edition (and I put them in on purpose) forgive this editor. To paraphrase the liner notes on the original Woodstock album, regard them as you would imperfections in fine leather. Jon Hewett