St Columban's Albion Class of 1969

Some photos by Archie of our final informal get-together for 2025 organised by, you guessed it, Peter Sergeant. Thanks Sarge, these are always well enjoyed and appreciated.

Held today at The Royal, Nundah from 11am to 3pm, and beyond. Several 69-ers chose the convenience of the train so that drinking and driving was avoided.

From memory there were 15 of us so we were not short on conversations, stories, memories, and maybe a little BS.

Allan Archbold
Bruce Atkinson
Peter Arnall
John Bechtel
Larry Burke
Steve Carew
Peter Cook
John Doody
Steve Hodge
Neil Kent
Mick McKeever
Brian Power
Peter Sergeant
Russell Winterscheidt
Brian Ziebath

Cheers,
Peter A.

Thanks to Sarge for once again organising an informal pub lunch catchup.

Yesterday 15 of us 69-ers turned up at the Albion Hotel for another great time, where time passed quickly and effortlessly. Of course it was all sensible chatter and no BS ....

The 15 were: Peter Sergeant, Alan Archbold, Peter Cook, Mick McKeever, Steve Hodge, Bruce Atkinson, Steve Carew, Bautista (John) Bucceri, Larry Burke, Neil Kent, Brian Cosgrove, John Bechtel, Brian Power, Paul Curro and me.

Thanks to Alan for the photos.

Cheers
Peter Arnall

For those planning on Dad's attending the funeral, 10am Monday 8/1/24, you might have difficulty finding visitor parking and the onsite Chapel.

There is visitor parking in the main entrance driveway and some scattered around the complex, but if you miss out, just go across Beams Road into Woolworths free parking up top or underground.

The Chapel is tucked in behind the Admin building, to the left of the Hilltop Cafe.

Hello 69-ers.

Albert Leslie Aloysius Arnall 21/7/1927 - 21/12/2023

Many of you know that Dad, an ex-teacher at St Columban's, Albion, has been unwell for some time now and has been in nursing care for the past 18 months at St Vincent's Residential Care Facility, Carseldine.

Yesterday 21/12/23, at 2:22 pm, after a short period of palliative care Dad passed away peacefully in the presence of my sister Ann-Maree and I.

At 96½ years old and having had a great fulfilling life, we were sad, but happy for him, to leave behind a life of no quality and some pain, and to move on from his earthly body.

His funeral service will be on Monday 8 January 2024 at 10 am at the St Vincent's Chapel, 736 Beams Road, Carseldine, followed by his burial at Pinnaroo Lawn Cemetery 285 Graham Road, Bridgeman Downs, Portion 21A, Grave 443 (with Mum) at 11:30 am.

FYI

Peter.

Fellow 69-ers, sorry for the late news but I have just found out from Greg Steel that we have lost another mate, Maurie Harvey who lost his battle with leukemia in 2020. His funeral was held at St Benedict's Church, East Brisbane on 15 October 2020.

He was diagnosed with Leukemia in May 2012 and was being treated in the Wesley Hospital in October 2013. When I spoke to his wife Janelle about attending our 50th she was confident he was in remission and would be able to join us. I spoke to Maurie a couple of years afterwards and he was in good spirits but not as well as he hoped to be. He was obviously a fighter.

I am sad I wasn't able to attend his funeral, or at least inform everybody.

Just heard from Vincent Hodge that Principal Brother Len Marshall has died.

The funeral will be Friday 28 Jan 2022 at Holy Trinity Church Banyo at 10.00am and it will be live-streamed. He was at St Columban's CBC Albion Heights from 1968 to 1973 and from there he went to Terrace.

Regards
Peter Arnall
18 Jan 2022.

Sadly, 69-er Graham Dickens passed away Monday 8 Nov 2021 after a decade-plus battle with a rare form of blood cancer. His mates, family and optometrical colleagues will remember him as a kind and gentle man, and a friend to all who met him.

As an aside, I credit Graham for my introduction to my wife Helen as we both separately attended his 21st. I went with my mate Neil Kent and Helen went with her sister and her sister's boyfriend John Mountford, an optometry mate of Grahams. Thanks Graham!

Below is a photo of Graham at our 69-ers reunion in 2014.

RIP old mate!

Dad has now chalked up 94 years. Still living independently with daily visits from Ozcare to ensure he is okay. He likes Meals On Wheels and Gourmet Meals home delivered, but there’s nothing like a family pub meal.

We have a star in our ranks. Here's Peter Dunell's story in National Seniors Magazine "OurGeneration" Winter 2021.

An Invitation from Peter Sergeant:

A few of us have been thinking that we need to catch up and check on each other as we emerge from Covid 19. So I'm suggesting a Men's Health Day, aka lunch at the pub, on Thursday Oct 8. This is an informal get-together. The venue to be decided, depending on numbers, but Nundah and Albion Hotels are possible destinations or perhaps in the city. I think we can have up to 30 at the moment, but this may change.

So here's the deal. Send me an email ([email protected]) if you are in for that date asap. By the weekend I can book a venue and you know the rest.

Hope to see a few of you next week. P. Conran can tell you stories of how I am now a golf pro ! I can give lessons for a fee.

Cheers
Sarge

Just a quick update on Dad.

He's been deteriorating physically and mentally this year. GP and Geriatrician says, at 93, it's just age related.

I took him back to his Cardiologist this Wednesday and demanded a full professional reassessment. ECG showed missing heart beats and heart functioning at only 50%.

Dad was scheduled in for urgent Pacemaker implant, which was done yesterday (Thursday).

I took him home today and even though he is still feeling the effects of the anaesthetic I can see improvement already. Maybe getting a good supply of blood to the brain is helpful !!!

He demanded a pub lunch today to celebrate (no alcohol though).

Tough old bu**er.