12 Werona Street Email:[email protected] Sunnybank Qld 4109 Dear Old Boys

September 2020 Dan McErlean Bryan McSweeney 12 Werona Street email:[email protected] Sunnybank Qld 4109 Dear Old Boys The timing of the next meeting of the Brisbane Sub-Branch of the Toowoomba (St Mary’s) Brothers Old Boys’ Association has still not been decided as we wait for further advice on the current COVID-19 health warnings. News from the College is that our Principal Michael Newman has been appointed Principal of Ashgrove Marist Brothers Boarding and Day College for Boys and will be farewelled from St Mary’s College on the 18th September 2020. His replacement in 2021 will be Mr Brendan Stewart currently the Deputy Principal of St Ignatius Park College, Townsville. For the final term in 2020 Mr Stephen Monk our Deputy Principal will act as St Mary’s College Principal. Please remember in your prayers Old Boys & Friends of the College recently deceased; Rev Fr Tom Keegan, former P.P. of Holy Name Parish. Brian Bianchi (year 1980) husband of Andrea (Meehan), son of Darcy (RIP) and Clare, son-in-law of Shirley & Jim Meehan father & father-in-law of Josh & Jade, Emily, Luke & Nadine. Life Member Kerry Taylor (1950-1956) husband of Carol, father of Michelle and Christopher. John Bagget (1945-1954) husband of Janet, father of Sue, Paula and Karen, brother of Bill (dec), Joe (dec) and Paul. Cecil Hogan (91 years) husband of Marjory and brother of Jack & Darcy (both dec). Daphne (Martin) Quinn, wife of John (dec) mother of Elizabeth and Margaret, sister of Mavis, Brian and Nancy. Anne Mary (Hede) Wilson, wife of Life Member John, mother and mother-in-law of Christopher, Elizabeth and Kent, and David, sister of Dr John, Andrew, Damien and Paul. Vera (Evans) McErlean, wife of Dan, sister-in-law of Kevin(dec) and Maree, Bill (dec) and Marge, Justin and Yvonne, Teresa and Ben Sgalippa and Pat(dec) and Elizabeth, mother of Kathleen (Horne) dec, Anne (Page), Paul, Stephen and Carmel. Desley (Whitehouse) Byrne wife of Life Member Patrick and mother of Catherine, Austin and Annemarie, sister-in-law of Rev Fr James, Redmond, Elizabeth (Anne) and Mary Francis (Pappalardo). Betty (Murdoch) Goulding, wife of Arnold (dec) mother of Barry, Dale, Dwaine and Liza. Also please remember in your prayers a number who are unwell or recovering from surgery: John Arndell, Tim Coonan, Brien Dunne, Colin Green, Gail (Rosenthal) Mahon, Wally Nugent, Joe Short, Bob Sullivan, Philip Stephens, Grahame Swenson, Kevin Garrett, Syl Stower, Jim Hannant, and Bevan Zeller. Bryan McSweeney Dan McErlean Dan Reilly President Secretary Co-Ordinator Mobile: 0420 565 712 (07) 3345 4404 (07) 3395 1813 1 Annual Membership Fee ($10.00) for Calendar Year 2020 is now due / or Life Memberships are available (Fee $100.00) Cheques for Membership should be made payable to the “Toowoomba Brothers Old Boy’s Association” * * * Cheques as donations towards the Indoor Sports Complex should be made payable to ‘Br. Baptiste O’Sullivan Building Fund’. Kevin Walter Zeller (Dad) was born on 27th August accepted all the technical changes when computerised 1942. He was the third son machinery came to the Foundry. He was known as the to John and Isabella Zeller, “go to” guy when machines had faults or South Street Toowoomba. programming issues. One thing that always left us Dad was the 5th of 7 wondering was how could Dad come home from children – Jacqueline, work as clean as he was in the morning?? At his Terrence (dec’d), Marie retirement, Dad had farewell drinks at the Spotted (dec’d), Peter, Delores Cow and approximately 40 of his workmates came to (dec’d) and Beryl. say farewell. In total, Kevin had worked at the Kevin used to recall fond Foundry (Southern Cross) for 35 years and was memories of his childhood, extremely proud to be a member of the 25 year “Gold exploring the suburbs and trying to earn an income Watch” club and catching up with his old mates every doing whatever they could around the neighbourhood. year. We think it was more like they were “fleecing” their Dad loved cars and motorbikes but with that also elderly neighbours who didn’t know any better! He came crashing them. We often laughed at his story of would reminisce about climbing the tank stand in ruining his brother Peter’s brand new jumper after South Street to try to see the Nuclear testing in the coming off a motorbike in Ruthven Street whilst Pacific Ocean and playing in the local dump in trying to avoid a pedestrian. Yes, speed would have Llewellyn Street riding down the slopes of rubbish on played a factor in the accident, but Peter never had his sheets of Asbestos! As children, he and his siblings jumper replaced. He often spoke of his favourite car would walk to school from South Street to St being his Vagabond – which he also crashed…. In Saviours College and then later to St Mary’s Christian more recent times though, we can’t forget his Morris Brothers College. ute that he “pimped up” with a powered tip tray As a teenager he gained a part-time job delivering making him super proud on his drives to the dump. milk off the milk truck, which at the time was quite a Or, how can we forget the Holden Camira that he dangerous job with the truck constantly moving. skidded off the road at the old (and infamous) Unfortunately for Dad, he had a fall off the truck and Goondiwindi “T junction” on our way to the Snowy fractured his leg requiring traction in hospital for Mountains. many many weeks with his knee then bothering him It was in 1960 when Dad and Mum met through a his entire life. He also enjoyed playing football in his friend. As Mum says, no-one ever called Dad Kevin teenage years playing in the back line for Souths and back then, he was only known as “Tard”. We believe Valleys. We are sure this is what led to his lifetime this nickname was the result of his mischievous love of rugby league and rugby union and the “King” behaviour…. I think Mum was the envy of all the Wally Lewis. single women in Toowoomba, we may be a little Kevin left school at the early age of 14. He tried his biased, but he was certainly a very sharp looking hand as a plumbing apprentice however he decided Man! that plumbing was not the career for him. He then In 1965 Mum and Dad were married at St Patrick’s gained a job with Qld Rail as a fireman stoking the Cathedral in Toowoomba and honeymooned on a engines and then in around 1964, he began his very road trip down through New South Wales in their long working career as a Fitter with the Toowoomba black and white Mark II Zephyr. Foundry. Dad was a truly dedicated worker and gave In 1968 they proudly brought Joanne, then Dean his all to the Foundry. He was highly regarded by his (1970 dec’d), Nicole (1971) and Debra (1973) into peers and most importantly he was respected. He the world. enjoyed the challenge of his work immensely and It does sound a bit cliché, but Dad was always fun to be with. Whether he was making up ditty’s such as 2 “Charlie McFoodle McFum” and “Starry ravos mosh his badge with pride every Anzac Day, he never nosh bee” or phrases such as “if you don’t eat you missed a Dawn Service or Gun Fire Brekkie. don’t poo and if you don’t poo you die” and how can He also loved the challenges that volunteering at we forget “wherever you may be let your wind go Food Assist brought with it. He spoke often of the free”. Or, if Dad didn’t know what something was people that he encountered there (both staff and called, he would simply make something up and we clients) and was always keen for a chat and to help honestly believed him. carrying boxes to people’s cars – even when he In 1978 they bought their house in Geoffrey Street. shouldn’t have. Joanne also joined in with Dad Over the years since they have spent a lot of time and volunteering at Food Assist when he needed an extra effort renovating the home and keeping their yard hand. Speaking of hands, poor Joanne’s knuckles pristine. Kevin was always so proud of his freshly have still not recovered from accompanying Dad in mown lawn. The dogs liked to show their the truck driving around town to collect food! appreciation too and provide Dad with a fresh More recently he volunteered at the Toowoomba RSL “memento” onto his lawn. He was like a painter who and was a proud supporter of their events. He loved just had his portrait ruined! There was a great deal of selling RSL merchandise and promoting their work. cursing when this happened. Before COVID, we attended a fundraising trivia night One of Dad and Mum’s proudest moments was in at the RSL, and you could see how well regarded 1995 when they paid off their home and owned it Kevin was with the members. His pride and joy outright. Yes, this called for a BBQ lunch, another however, was the recent installation of the flagpole in drink or two (or three) and a naming ceremony. his front yard. This was a generous Service provided Dad always loved to be with his family. He was often by the RSL. He was so proud of his Country and he the last to leave a family function and truly adored his loved to just sit there and watch his Australian flag Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren.

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