Malcolm James Robert

Malcolm James Roberts (great grandad) was born in 1920 in Hamilton New Zealand, he was born by Lvy and Charles Roberts he was the fourth out of five children.

Times were hard for Malcolm and his parents with 5 children that they had to look after and share food evenly and not spend too much money good thing for Malcolm is that he learned how to use money wisely when he grew up. times were hard growing up for Malcolm too. During the depression, he helped his dad make soap and sold it door to door. Then he allowed him to make concrete water pipes and troughs and they delivered them in a model t ford. he had to leave school when he was 16 and had to work for money when he left. When he was about 10 he got really sick, and then had to get his tonsils removed, the doctor came to his house and did it on the kitchen table. He put the tonsils in a container on the side of the table When Malcolm woke up and wanted to see them they realized the cat ate them.

then world war two started Malcolm enlisted to serve on the hospital ship in Maunganui. They went mainly to the Middle East and bought wounded soldiers home. his job helped tons of people survive the war.

in 1948 (After the war), he set up a company called Roberts Concrete Products. After that, he married Iris (1949). They had five children, his first child was born in 1950. He brought the first concrete block machine into NZ. he also made the first prestressed bridge beams in NZ.

One of his hobbies was being an amateur radio operator. His call sign was ZL1BGV. He spoke all around the world. He spoke to a radio operator on a ship waiting to pick up astronauts returning from space. He loved fishing, scuba diving, traveling the world with Iris, gardening - growing vegetables. He built a house for himself and Iris before they got married. He built a batch at Raglan, sold it ten years later, and then built a batch in Whangamata.

sadly he died at the age of 93 from cancer (2013)

after all, he lived a great life and served well for our family and country.

information:

grandma, Dad