"A Tribute to Tony Devine including many reminiscences of Tony Devine and myself" Tony Devine, born 21/5/43, passed away 3/8/21. Tony was my dearest and oldest friend(of 75+years' standing). He was like"a brother from another mother"to me. We first got to know each other in the mid-1940s because we both lived in the same street, Evered Avenue, Walton. Tony and I played, together with friends of our own age, in a beautiful park close to our houses (Walton Recreational Ground), known fondly as "The Rec". In summer, we played cricket, or tried(!) to do athletics by jumping over waist-high privet hedges, or we sometimes played a so-called, make-believe fighting game, called "Japs and Commandos", as WWII had only just finished, remember? Alternatively, we would go and play on the swings or the "monkey ladders"(remember them?),which were also located in the park. In winter, football was the order of the day, with temporarily discarded pullovers or jackets placed on the floor as "goal-posts". Those were the days! It was a really idyllic childhood! Tony and I often went to the "Walton Vale Cinema"(long since demolished) on a Saturday, to watch what was on offer, usually films with Abbott and Costello, the serial called"White Eagle", or Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. Often when the show was over, we would race all the way home (no mean feat, as home was about one and a half to two miles away!), pretending to be our heroes on horseback, with our coats fastened to our necks and dangling down our backs, streaming out behind us, intended to look like capes or cloaks! Regarding education, our paths often coincided. The first establishment we attended together was "Miss Duke's Nursery School"in Walton Park, from the age of three onwards. Tony used to say to me:" Mike, don't you remember, when we were three, Miss Duke made you stand on a desk for being a naughty boy?! "I couldn't for the life of me remember the incident, but if Tony said it happened, then it did happen! Next, we both went to Blessed Sacrament Primary School, Aintree, now, sadly, demolished to make way for new houses. This was a tremendous school, and helped us both gain admission to St. Edward's together. Here, we both played in rugby teams over several years, and both represented the College at athletics. Tony opted for the Sciences, whereas I was a Modern Linguist (French and Spanish) so, after "A"level, our paths diverged. However, we were "reunited"when we both started our teaching careers in St. Kevin's Comprehensive, Kirkby (the school attended by Former World Boxing Champion, John Conteh, and the Screenwriter of "Brookside", Phil Redmond). Tony then applied for the Head of the Science Department post at St. Augustine's Comprehensive, Huyton, and was successful in his application. Ironically, in 1970, I became the Head of the Modern Languages Department in St. Augustine's, so our paths crossed once again! (St. Augustine's was the school attended by Peter Reid, one of the greatest Everton players ever!). Later on, Tony then became Deputy Head at a Wigan Comprehensive, whereas I stayed on at St. Augustine's, until I retired in 1992. St. Augustine's was later called "St. Thomas Beckett School ", (as a result of re- organisation).This school has now been demolished, as indeed, St. Kevin's has! (It sometimes seems as though demolition is always hot on my heels!) After my retirement, I went to live in Spain for 27 years. Tony married Dorothy(" Dot") in 1965. They had two daughters, Jacqueline ("Jackie"), and Helen. Dot and Tony kindly asked me if I would like to be Jackie's godfather, and I was honoured and delighted, and readily agreed. Dot and Tony themselves agreed to be the godparents of my eldest son, Michael, a few years later, which I really appreciated. Jackie and her husband, Ian, now have two children, Matthew and Lucy, and Helen and her husband (another Ian!) Have three children, Sam, Joel, and Esme. Every single member of this extended Devine family, like me, is an Evertonian, as Dot is and Tony always was! Dot and Tony have been extraordinarily kind to me over the years. Whenever I came to Liverpool from Spain, they always invited Chris, my younger son, and me to their house for a lovely meal. They are very, very hospitable. Dot and Tony have been very enthusiastic and accomplished Crown Green Bowlers over the years, and Tony was also involved in running the affairs of the local Bowling Club. Finally, Tony was also a leading light in helping the priests of St. Gregory's R.C. Church, Lydiate, to run the parish. As always, in whatever he helped to organise, Tony was unstinting with his time and efforts. Farewell, my kind, generous, and altruistic friend. You will be sadly missed, Tony, by your loving family and by friends like me! Mike Treanor

RIP, Tony Devine, and may God bless you!