Gary Sewell let us know that his  father Keith John Sewell passed away on Sunday morning  10th May 2020 aged 80.

Keith was employed at the ANZ Bank for a period of 40 years and worked at various branches predominantly in the Gippsland region.

Keith retired from the bank in June 1994.

Our condolences are extended to Keith's family.

In the Herald Sun Frankston RSL advised that our Honorary member Des Rittman  passed away on 6/05/2020. Des had served in the Navy during WW11 .

Our condolences are extended to the family and friends of Des

Eulogy for Wayne Routledge

18 Oct 1935 - 07 Sep 2019

Welcome / Introduction

Thank you everyone for coming along today - no doubt some of you have travelled significant distance at short notice to be here - we do appreciate your effort. We'd also like to acknowledge the many friends and relatives who were unable to attend - thank you for your kind thoughts and condolences. In particular our thoughts today are with Wayne's sister Dawn who currently resides in aged care at Corowa Court in Mornington but is unable to attend.

Childhood

Dad was born on the 18th of October 1935 in the Cottage Hospital on Tanti Ave in Mornington. He shared the same middle name as his father Richard Routledge (who was known as 'Dale') and his mother's name was Camilla (she was known as 'Bon'). Wayne's sister Dawn was four years old when he was born, and the family were living on Burwood Avenue in Mornington, but soon moved a few streets away to Grange Road, close to Shire Hall beach and the Mornington pier, the Main Street shops, and close to Mornington Primary School where Wayne was a student in the early 1940's. By all accounts Wayne had a happy childhood, despite the fact that his father Dale headed off to war in 1939, and would not return until 1944 having been a Prisoner of War in Poland. When Dale was repatriated to Australia and returned home in poor health, it would have been a struggle to adjust to domestic life again and his son Wayne barely remembered him.

Despite this challenge Wayne enjoyed his childhood years. As a young boy he was included in play with his sister Dawn and her close friend Pat Pelling, he would have no doubt had various friends through primary school, and he has often told me how he used to enjoy playing along the Mornington foreshore at Red Bluff near the pier. Wayne also enjoyed watching the steam trains at Mornington station change direction on the turn-table before returning to Frankston. In recent years dad has recounted his fond memories of childhood outings to go Yabbying at a small dam near Pat's house and to the Searle property on the Esplanade where he and Dawn were able to ride horses. Wayne would rarely be seen

without his best mate - Keppy, the family dog. There would have typically been family evenings by the wireless listening to various radio shows and all important war news, and weekly outings to the Mornington Cinema to see news reels and feature films. Dad's love of cinema is a theme that would continue throughout his life.

In his secondary school years Wayne attended Mentone Grammar - initially commuting by train from Mornington, then attending as a boarder until he completed his leaving year. Of note - Wayne was the school projectionist for a time. He would return home for school holidays and various long weekends and it was during these boarding years that the Routledge family moved again to the nearby Red Gables, a larger weatherboard house on a double block at 21 Balcombe Street - still close to the centre of Mornington and importantly, still not far from the beach.

Formative years

We believe dad started his working life at Peninsula Radio, his father's small retail business on Main Street, but through Dale's contacts at the local pub (which he was known to frequent after work) Wayne was able to land a job as a teller at the ANZ Bank in Mornington. Of interest is that Dale's father was also a banker.

In the following years (early 1950's) Wayne worked in various ANZ branches including Mornington, Rosebud, Moe (being in regional Victoria dad would billet in Moe through the working week and return to Mornington for the weekends), and in 1953 while working at the Collingwood branch he was called up for a several months of National Service. This involved basic army training at Puckapunyal followed by further training as a radio operator in a tank for the 4th Lighthorse. Over the years dad has spoken with fondness and some pride of his National Service, and it was special to him and our family when in 2002 his service was recognized with the National Service Medal.

Wayne then returned to the ANZ Bank and in 1955 his hard work and professionalism were recognized - he was brought in to Melbourne to learn the banks various administrative processes at their head office at 388 Collins St - effectively grooming him for more responsible roles. Outside of work he had ongoing involvement in a local Mornington church theatre group - the CEF Players. In April of 1961 Claire Rigby also found herself involved with the CEF Players who were rehearsing for an upcoming production called My Three Angels. She was in a support role; helping with costumes, make-up, stage props, and notably the prompt, who could whisper to actors who may have forgotten their

lines. When the female lead for the play fell ill just two weeks short of opening night, Claire was the only one who knew the lines, and she was reluctantly cast opposite Wayne as a married couple. I believe the performance involved a kissing scene, and needless to say Wayne and Claire started dating in August 1961. By October Wayne had proposed, in November they bought their first house at 56 Towerhill Rd, Frankston, and on 03 March 1962 they were married at St James (the Less) Church in Mt Eliza. Dad certainly liked to be efficient in everything he did.

Wayne and Claire continued their involvement in the CEF Players and a couple of years later the group performed their first musical production called Salad Days ('63) and then Free as Air ('65) and I know dad had many fond memories of this era. Wayne and Claire would also frequent Melbourne restaurants and venues to enjoy local bands like The Seekers. Their first child Susan was born in 1965, and I came along in 1968. At this point Wayne's career had him travelling to Blackburn each day and with a growing family and a long daily commute, the decision was made to move to a bigger house in the eastern suburbs. This was a spec home in a new estate in Glen Waverley and No. 4 Eriden Close was to be our family home until 1992.

Career and family

Throughout Sue's and my childhood and school age years, dad would prove himself time and again to have love and devotion to his family and somehow balance this with dedication to his work. He worked long hours and continued to advance his bank career with various important roles. In the early years he became close friends with Ron Cashin and then also, Geoff Scott. He met Les Roberts when they worked together on the introduction of Bankcard to Australia - which involved travel to the US and the UK. He returned to Blackburn as manager of the ANZ Stationery Dept for Australia, and this lead to his friendship with Peter Miller who had come from New Zealand to learn stationery department processes. These friendships may have been formed in dad's professional working environment, but they were special to him and a valued part of his life. A particularly challenging role was when he worked directly for the ANZ CEO Will Bailey in an era where the ANZ decided to purchase a company jet and establish a corporate retreat in country Victoria at Flowerdale, with Wayne responsible for 'project managing' both ventures. He finished his career with the ANZ working at Victoria Parade, Carlton as the Senior Manager of Services and Supply. The position responsibilities included Australia-wide payroll, the ANZ vehicle fleet, staff uniforms, and catering, and when Wayne retired in 1992 he concluded a highly accomplished 39 year career.

Around the home dad had his routines that saw him polishing his work shoes, regularly washing the cars, mowing the lawns, and various other property maintenance tasks, dutifully driving mum to craft markets where she sold pottery and hand-crafts, and driving mum crazy if he tried to help with cleaning or doing the dishes. With dad, most tasks needed to be done with routine and efficiency (his methodical nature not surprising given his years in the bank and his previous military service). Gardening however was not too much of a chore for dad - it gave him genuine enjoyment. He loved planting flowering annuals to brighten up the garden beds, and was a dab hand at planting out and maintaining large garden beds of camelias and azalias. He also built a large fernery in the shady corner of our back yard with an impressive array of plants, though the sturdiness of the timber frame that he built could be called in to question.

Christmases gatherings and other family celebrations would often be held at relatives houses, and ever dutiful - dad would pack the car and make sure we'd arrive on time. He was a loving and caring father who would always ask how our day had been, offered calm, sensible guidance when challenges in life arose, and often lightened the mood with a 'dad' joke, even when it wasn't required (a trait that I seem to have inherited from him). He and mum have been very generous parents with their love, and also gave both Sue and myself considerable financial help when we each purchased our first property.

Dad had to cope with the passing of both of his parents in 1973 which must have been deeply sad for him, but of course his sister Dawn, his parents-in-law and his good friends Pat and Peter Wallis amongst others all lived in Mornington, so visits to the peninsula continued to be a regular occurrence - the place that dad enjoyed most. We all have very happy memories of weekends spent at our holiday house at 08 Hume St near the top of Mt Martha, with views out over the bay and back up to Melbourne. Dad would bundle us up in to the car for summertime day trips to Mt Martha beach which were no doubt doubly enjoyable for him, as much of his childhood was spent at the beach in Mornington. The Hume St house was probably best described as 'rustic', with a basic kitchen and concrete shower base, but after dad applied his questionable carpentry skills to fixing a sticking fly-screen door, it was even more so. His uneven sawing effort in an attempt to stop the door sticking meant it then had a scalloped bottom edge that provided multiple openings for the flies and mosquitoes to enter. At this point we had pretty much determined that carpentry was not dad's forte. The holiday house at Hume St was the venue for many, many barbeques and parties with Dawn, Pat

and Peter, and many other relatives and friends. Dad would be in charge of the barbeque, and food and drink would abound. Having eventually sold the Hume St holiday house, he and mum had always planned to retire back to the Mornington peninsula, so it was no great surprise when in 1986 they purchased their home at 12 Hinkler St, Mt Martha.

Retirement

I remember that mum was concerned in the lead-up to dad's retirement as to how he would keep himself busy, but I don't think it proved to be a problem. With time on his hands dad could dive in to working on the front and rear gardens at Hinkler St to create a lovely casual green setting. He helped plan the construction of a pottery studio for mum and the addition of a sun-room near the front of the house. For as long as I could remember he had been an avid reader (particularly of murder mysteries and adventure novels) and in retirement this pass-time saw him purchasing and devouring novels as often as one per fortnight. His favourite authors included Agatha Christie (he owned and read every one of her 100+ novels), Wilbur Smith, P.D. James, and many more. Not surprisingly he also enjoyed the daily ritual of attempting the crossword in the Age newspaper and it was rare that he couldn't complete it. This was an activity he had originally enjoyed during his long train commutes to work.

He enjoyed staying in touch with his ANZ bank friends and colleagues. The retired officers group would meet for monthly luncheons, and dad was certainly disappointed if other commitments meant that he occasionally missed a gathering. Names the likes of Harry Kerwin and Ari Veenman along with his other work friends would be mentioned fondly on his return. Retirement also meant that he and mum had the time available to enjoy regular outings to the cinema, and dad would also immerse himself in cinema facts and trivia and actor biographies. Over the years, mum and dad thoroughly enjoyed heading up to Melbourne to see an array of different theatre and stage show productions - not that surprising given how they first met. You may well hear some 'Les Mis' music playing later in the service.

Dad was no stranger to travel, heading interstate and overseas both in his working life and for various family holidays. In retirement, he and mum were able to enjoy many more trips including a lengthy tour of Europe and the UK, and trips to New Zealand, Singapore and the US. Within Australia they ventured to Darwin and the Northern Territory, Western Australia, Cairns and Port Douglas to name just a few of their destinations.

In 2004 my beautiful wife Carolyn and I were married and I think that dad was pretty proud. He and I had shared a quiet beer at the Dava hotel just a few days before the wedding, and dad told me that being a husband and father came with responsibility, but that it would be the most special part of my life - and he was so right. Carolyn and I have two wonderful boys, Will and Callum, and I know that they filled dad's heart with happiness - he was a very proud grandfather.

During his 27 years of retirement dad had several serious health issues but was generally able to return to sound health and mobility to be able to enjoy so much in life. In his last few years dad's Parkinson's began to take it's toll, and after mum needed open-heart surgery in March 2017, dad needed to move in to George Vowell aged care centre which is nearby in Mt Eliza. This was a difficult adjustment for everyone, but dad received daily visits from Claire and regular visits from Sue, myself and other family friends, and for a time we were able to bring him home for occasional daytrips. Dad had always had a great sense of humour, and even in aged care was still able to make the odd cheeky joke with the carers and nurses. Just the other day I was chatting with Pat about dad's early years, and she described him as someone who was 'always fun'. We would like to acknowledge the staff in Lakeside Wing who provided such good care for dad throughout his time there. Dad's final days were at The Bays hospital on Main St Mornington. He had a first floor room overlooking the part of Mornington where he had lived as a child and had gone to school. We are very grateful to the doctors, nurses, and support staff who all showed great compassion, sensitivity and quality of care for dad. He was comfortably sedated much of the time, and passed away peacefully on Saturday evening the 7th of September.

We will never forget you dad - you will always be in our memories and in our hearts.

Scott Routledge advised us that his aunt, Miss Dawn Routledge, passed away on 13 Mar 2020 aged 89. Dawn worked for the ANZ almost exclusively in the Mornington branch from the early 1950s until the mid 1980s, and was also manager of the Mt Martha sub-branch for a year or two in the early 80s.

Our condolences are extended to Dawn's family.

Eulogy for Dawn Routledge

11 Feb 1931 - 13 Mar 2020

Welcome / Introduction

Thank you everyone for coming along today to remember the life of Dawn - we really appreciate your attendance and support, especially in such stressful times. We'd also like to acknowledge the several friends and relatives who were unable to be here - thank you for your kind thoughts and condolences. A particular mention to Dawn's cousin Helen England who has recently entered aged care in Camberwell, and her friend Anna McKenzie who lives in Tasmania - neither of whom could be here today.

Early years

Dawn was born in the inner Melbourne suburb of Windsor on the 11th of February 1931. When she was still just a toddler, her parents Dale and Bon moved the family to the then quiet town of Mornington where Dawn's grandparents had a house on Barkly St. Dale had been a teacher at Brighton Grammar, but in Mornington he started a wireless sales and repair business on Main St called Peninsula Radio. In those early years the Routledges lived in various rental houses in Baroona St, Burwood Ave, and Grange Rd, and Dawn started Kindergarten and then pre-school at Miss McClays. In 1935 Dawn's baby brother Wayne was born, and soon after Dawn started primary school at Miss McKillops.

By this stage Dawn had formed two very close friendships: with Pat Pelling (later Pat Wallis who lived on Barkly St nearby) and with Anna Searle (later Anna McKenzie - who lived on the Esplanade on the way to Mt Martha). Outside of school hours, Dawn would enjoy riding bicycles with her friend Anna - and riding Anna's pony - and close to Pat's house, exploring the nearby dam where she and Pat would catch frogs and yabbies. In the warmer months the Routledges would frequent their usual spot at Shire Hall beach, with Pat's family just around the point at Mills beach. Another close friendship developed between Dawn and Val Smith, whose family had recently arrived from England and lived close by. Later in life Val was to become Matron at the Mornington Bush Hospital (now - The Bays hospital which Dawn's father had helped raise funds to construct in the late 1930s). But as it was for so many families, in 1939 Dawn's happy childhood was shaken when her father (who she was so close to)

headed off to war - not to return until 1945. Dale had been captured on Crete and held Prisoner of War in Poland, and for a time, Bon, Dawn and Wayne would not have known if he was alive. The Smiths provided wonderful support for Bon and her children while Dale was away at war. Throughout this period there would typically have been family evenings by the wireless listening to various radio shows and the all important war news, and weekly outings to the Mornington Cinema on Main St to see news reels and feature films. We were chatting with Pat a couple of days ago, and one of her memories of this era was that Keppy (Dawn and Wayne's dog) would often follow and go in to the cinema with them! (It was certainly a different time). Through their common involvement with St Peters church in Mornington, Dawn got to know Joan Birch (later Joan Winkley). When Dale was eventually repatriated to Australia he had been away for over five years and like so many servicemen - returned home in poor health.

After one year of high school at Frankston High, Dawn was then able to attend Toorak College in Mt Eliza where she applied herself to her studies and regularly received good grades. Later the family purchased 'Red Gables', a large, white weatherboard house on a double block at 21 Balcombe Street - still close to Pat's house and also not too far from the beach. Dawn had also become friends with Helen Prosser (later Helen Chitts) who was a younger girl who lived nearby in Balcombe St. Dawn completed her matriculation year (the equivalent of yr 12) which was not that common for girls in that era, but she was understandably disappointed when her father then told her that the family could not afford for her to attend university (like he had), despite her academic promise.

Working life

Dawn started her working life in the late 1940s at the Mornington Library, adjacent to the Mechanics Hall on Main St. She worked there for around three years before becoming a teller at the ANZ Bank in Mornington (where her brother Wayne had also recently started work). Of interest is that Dawn's grandfather Richard Routledge had been a bank manager in Wangaratta back at the turn of the century. In the 1960s Helen Prosser started employment at Mornington ANZ so for some years she and Dawn were able to work together. Helen coincidentally was also involved in the local church theatre group (the CEF Players) where my parents Wayne and Claire met. Another bank friend that needs mentioning is Jean Stanway. Dawn and Jean remained good friends well after Jean got married and left the ANZ.

Dawn was dedicated, capable and respected for her professionalism at work, but her advancement and job roles were somewhat limited as she was not often prepared to work at other branches away from Mornington. At one point she even turned down an offer of working as a travel consultant for the bank - a dream job that most would jump at. A big part of her hesitancy to spread her wings would have been the failing health of her mother. By the later 50s and in to the 60s Bon's health had declined and there was an expectation from her parents that other than working at the local branch, Dawn stay at home to help with domestic chores and care for her mother.

In March 1962 Dawn was bridesmaid at mum and dad's wedding, with her niece (my sister Sue) born in '65, and her nephew (me) in '68. By 1966 Bon's health had declined to the point where she needed full-time care in a nursing home in Frankston, and she was eventually diagnosed with a form of Multiple Sclerosis. For Dawn this must have been a very stressful and emotional period, and she would visit her almost every day, ever dutiful in caring for her mother. By the early 70s Dale's condition also worsened, and an army friend convinced him to transfer from the Mornington Bush Hospital to the repatriation hospital in Macleod. This made it very difficult for Dawn to visit her father other than on weekends, and then sadly, in April 1973 Bon passed away followed in June, by Dale. This would have been devastating for Dawn and she now found herself struggling to maintain the house and garden at the family home.

1974 saw Red Gables sold (it had been her fond family home for many years) and Dawn moved in to Unit 2, No.5 Marine Avenue - a two-bedroom unit within walking distance of Main St, and also close to Fisherman's Beach. Also of note in 1974 was that Fiona Tucker commenced working at Mornington ANZ, and she and Dawn developed a fond working relationship over the subsequent years. Later, Dawn was selected to manage a sub-branch of the ANZ located at Mt Martha - recognition of her experience and expertise. Dawn was to live at Marine Avenue for 18 years, and I have very fond memories of visiting her there on weekends. Dawn enjoyed growing climbing beans and rhubarb and had an impressive lemon tree. Sue reminded us fondly that Dawn was often keen to collect dried cow manure for fertilising her veggie patch from the cow paddock behind our holiday house at Mt Martha. It was quite a sight to see her climb through the wire fence with gloves and a plastic bag, and there was also the hope of finding a few mushrooms as well. At her unit she would often have a jigsaw puzzle on the go on the kitchen table and it was always a treat to be allowed to help complete it. She also fostered an interest in stamps in me (as she had done

with my cousin Michael in years prior) and she would give me the occasional stamp to further my modest collection. During summertime she would often go swimming as many as three times a day, clearly taking advantage of her lunch hour, and Mornington's lovely beaches. Many of these swims would be with her good friend Pat, and they would also take lengthy walks with Pat and Peter's dogs Star and Brandy.

The spare room at Marine Ave would usually be full of clutter due to Dawn's passion for stamp collecting - a hobby that started back in her childhood and now, with her full focus, evolved in to developing a Captain Cook thematic collection that Dawn would enter in various Australian and international stamp exhibitions and competitions over the years. She was always interested in explorers, particularly Cook and his three famous voyages. Dawn became involved with various stamp clubs, would purchase expensive, rare stamps from around the world to enhance her collection, and won several awards - some of which you'll see on display in the adjoining room after the service. In 1988 a replica of Cook's ship (the Endeavour) visited Mornington pier as part of Australia's bicentennial celebrations and Dawn was thrilled to be able to go on board and even take the helm.

Dawn also had a long friendship with her cousin Helen, who had started visiting Mornington (and of course Dawn) back in the 1930s when Helen's family would stay for summers in their holiday house on Northcote Terrace near the Esplanade. Now, Helen's mother had also recently passed and Helen had also moved from her long-term family home into her own place, so she and Dawn found a lot in common and were no-doubt great support for one another.

In the mid 1980s Dawn had a medical scare. She had a TIA or 'mini-stroke' at work and needed hospitalisation, followed by a period of rehabilitation. Despite returning to fairly good health, this event led to Dawn's retirement and the conclusion of well over 30 years working for the ANZ in Mornington.

Retirement and holidays

In 1991 whilst walking with Pat, Dawn noticed a block under development with three units being constructed at 44 Wilsons Rd, the front one was to have three bedrooms. This was a chance to modernise, move even closer to Fisherman's beach, and most importantly gain a dedicated stamp room that wouldn't need to be disturbed when visitors stayed over. She purchased off the plan and moved in April 1992. Dawn was very happy in her new unit, and was intrigued when soon, a cheeky neighbourhood cat began visiting. Dawn would cuddle and feed

the cat, and the cat would visit more often and stay longer, until the cat may as well have been hers. She named her 'Smudge' due to her fur markings, and Dawn and Smudge would be best of friends for over twenty years. Her friend Helen Chitts later purchased the rear unit on the same block, and the two would be close neighbours for many years, with Friday afternoon drinks and nibbles a regular occurrence.

Dawn was most definitely conservative in her thinking and with her financial management; not that surprising given her long career in the bank. Her friend Helen recalls Dawn's preference for bargain-priced tap pack wine, despite it's questionable taste, and I certainly remember that she would emphasize the importance of saving at any relevant opportunity, but she was also inherently a generous person when it came to birthday and Christmas gifts, and she enjoyed the company of good friends and family. I also know that she frequently donated to many medical research institutes and also in particular to animal welfare charities. This was no surprise given her interest in the natural world - Dawn had subscribed to National Geographic for many, many years, and her unit still has several bookshelves sagging from the weight of the hundreds of these magazines. She was also a long-suffering armchair Melbourne Demons football fan (something I also share) and it was not uncommon to visit and find her with that weeks football game showing on the TV. She new many of the player names and had her favourites each season. It's also important that I mention that Dawn was a Godmother to her neice Susie, to Anna's son Robert McKenzie, and also to Helen Chitt's son Adam.

Dawn enjoyed many holidays throughout her life; the first major one was with her good friends Pat and Peter Wallis in the early 1960s. They drove up to Queensland (staying in Kings Cross of all places, along the way), their destination being Happy Bay on Long Island in the Whitsundays. They stayed in basic cabins on the beachfront, did reef tours on a glass bottom boat, swam daily at the beaches, and even had a close encounter with some giant cane toads! This must have been an amazing experience for a young woman who had only ever travelled to Melbourne and regional Victoria. Over the years Dawn enjoyed several other major holiday trips. There was Singapore and Bali with Wayne and Claire in the mid 70s, a Pacific P&O cruise with our whole family in 1978, Hawaii with Pat and Peter in the early 80s where she was able to visit the site of Cook's death, and in the 1990s, a three month tour of the UK and Scandinavia with her cousin Helen. Mum and dad took Dawn to Batemans Bay on the NSW south coast and also took her to far north Queensland, she visited her friend Anna in Tasmania, and the list of trips goes on. When in aged care she was

asked about her favourite holiday; Dawn was quick to state that it was a trip to New Zealand in the 1970s with her friend Val Smith that held the fondest memories. No doubt this trip would have included visits to many historic Cook sites!

Aged Care

By around 2010 Dawn was having more difficulties with her health. She had become quite sedentary, could no longer drive, and needed help with domestic chores and dealing with her financial affairs. Wayne and Claire acted as her Powers of Attorney for some time, and by 2012 had organised for her to receive in-home care through the Andrew Ker aged care group. In October of 2016 Dawn needed to move in to permanent residential aged care, and she chose Corowa Court on the Mornington Esplanade, only 500m from her home at 44 Wilsons Rd and with views out over her beloved Fisherman's beach. This was definitely the right choice for Dawn, and through the three and a half years she was a resident, the nursing team and carers did a wonderful job looking after her, allowing her dignity, and providing genuine compassion. She received regular visits from many different friends and family throughout this time; most often from her lifelong friend Pat. In September last year we had to deliver the sad news to Dawn that her brother Wayne had passed away, but her dementia was at such a stage that she perhaps never quite understood or accepted that this had happened.

Soon after dad's passing, Dawn's health declined further and she was in and out of hospital with low blood pressure until the medical advice was that she would be most comfortable back at Corowa Court surrounded by familiar faces of the lovely nurses and carers and back in her familiar routine. Dawn remained on comfort care for over four months. She celebrated her 89th birthday on the 11th of February this year, and passed away peacefully at around 3:30am on the 13th of March.

Dawn was a Mornington girl through-and-through, lucky enough to have lived almost her entire life in this special place.

She is at peace now, but we will miss her dearly.