Of Tragedy and Valor
David John (Rocket) Rumbelow

David John Rumbelow (Rocket) was born at Victor Harbor 3 months after his father David Rumbelow Snr drowned. He was given the same name as his father in his  memory, but became known as Rocket.  

David was brought up by his mother Florence Mabel Morgan with assistance from his uncle Lionel Rumbelow. As a consequence, David became close to Lionel’s son Graham Rumbelow and they grew up more like brothers than cousins.  

David played football for Encounter Bay as well  as taking up fishing. David accepted a carpentry apprenticeship  whilst working with Graham.  

He met his future wife Verna Burt who was working at The Crown  Hotel Victor Harbor and this turned into his life-long companion.  They briefly moved to Murray Bridge where David worked as a  carpenter and Verna took on employment at the District Telephone  Exchange.  The couple subsequently moved to Port Broughton and were  married there soon after on 9 June 1956. 

David was a hard working person, employed at the Port Broughton Post Office and Telephone Exchange as well as working in his in-law’s Takeaway shop. David continued with his love of  fishing through supplying freshly caught fish which were cooked and  sold in the store. Ownership of the shop subsequently changed to sister Yvonne and  her husband Dean Hobbs however David continued to help out with  supplying fish as well as making deliveries.  

David also engaged in bar work at the local pub. In his idle time, David enjoyed playing football and cricket with the local teams. 

David and Verna's son Gregory Rumbelow was born in 1959 at Snowtown Hospital and soon after the family returned to Murray Bridge to continue work at the Murray Bridge Post Office. The couples daughters were born in 1961 (Annette), 1963  (Paula) and 1971 (Lisa). 

David was devoted to supporting his family as well as assisting  anyone who needed a hand. David was very dedicated and hard-working, taking on jobs as truck driver, barman, electricity meter reader, general maintenance  worker, fencing contractor in addition to maintaining glasshouse crops.  

David supported many sports throughout his lifetime and was an  invaluable member of each sports club he was associated with. In  recognition of his voluntary work, he has been awarded Life  Memberships of the Rambler Football and Cricket Clubs, as well as  the Murray Bridge Basketball Association. 

David particularly enjoyed  supporting his children, including assisting as sports trainer with Ramblers and Norwood Football Clubs whilst Gregory was playing  there. David rarely missed watching many of his 12 grandchildren participate at sporting events and he was a familiar face in the community.  

David was devastated when Verna passed away unexpectedly in 2003. His heart was further broken when son Gregory passed away 4 years later.  David passed away 21 June 2016 at Royal Adelaide Hospital  surrounded by his large family, from his children to great grandchildren. David holds a strong presence in everyone's hearts.

Couple’s 30 years of support for local basketball honored 

For about 30 years, Verna and David Rumbelow have been supporting Murray Bridge Basketball Association. 

And now,their support and dedication has been honored, with life membership. They have been attending the Murray Bridge Basketball Association stadium since their son, Greg, started playing in the summer of 1972 - and have not missed a season. Verna and David have supported their own four children, two sons- in-law, and eight grand-children who have all played,or are still playing, in the basketball Association.

 In addition, they have helped and collecting payments at the door.

David Rumbelow also helped out with maintenance work around the stadium, and has also tried his hand at umpiring. 

In addition, both have done their fair share of scoring and time- keeping whenever required, and an association spokesperson said they would be the first to put up their hands to transport players to different basketball games and carnivals out of the town area. 

Other activities include being active fundraisers for the Rebels Basketball Club, along with selling raffle tickets for the association, and they still attend the stadium.

Obituary David RUMBELOW 

Published by Murray Valley Standard on Jun. 28, 2016.

Rumbelow David John Much loved father and father-in-law of the late Greg and Jane. Adored pa to Alison, Neil, Mark, Nicole and Jarrad. Those we have laughed with, learned from, leaned on and loved most leave us with the very best memories.

Added 24/06/2016:

The funeral service for David Rumbelow is to be held at Minge Chapel, Swanport Road Murray Bridge on Thursday 30/06/2016 at 1.00pm. The cortage will proceed to Le Messurier Oval for a final lap of honour before travelling to the Murray Bridge Cemetery for the committal service. The wearing of red and white is encouraged. 

Funeral notice for

RUMBELOW, David John

Publication: Centralian Advocate

Date Listed: 25/6/2016

RUMBELOW, David John THE RELATIVES and FRIENDS of the late Mr DAVID RUMBELOW are invited to attend his Funeral Service to be held in the Minge Chapel, 63 Swanport Road, Murray Bridge on THURSDAY, June 30, 2016 at 1 p.m., followed by his burial in the Murray Bridge Cemetery. 

Eulogy for David Rumbelow  

David John Rumbelow, the youngest member of his family,  was born 28 March 1933 to Mabel & the late David John Rumbelow  (Senior). His father had tragically passed away 3 months before David was born and was given the same name as his father in his  memory. He became known as Rocket.  

David was brought up by his mother with assistance from his uncle  Lionel. As a consequence, David became close to Lionel’s son Graham and they grew up more like brothers than cousins.  

In his growing years, David played football for Encounter Bay as well  as taking up fishing. David accepted a carpentry apprenticeship  whilst working with Graham.  

He met his future wife Verna Burt who was working at The Crown  Hotel Victor Harbor.  They briefly moved to Murray Bridge where David worked as a  carpenter and Verna took on employment at the District Telephone  Exchange.  

The couple subsequently moved to Port Broughton and were  married there soon after on 9 June 1956. 

David was a hard working person, employed at the local Post Office  and Telephone Exchange as well as working in his In-law’s  Delicatessen & Takeaway Store. David continued with his love of  fishing through supplying freshly caught fish which were cooked and  sold in the store. David also engaged in bar work at the local pub. In his idle time, David enjoyed playing football and cricket with the local  teams. 

Ownership of the shop subsequently changed to sister Yvonne and  her husband Dean Hobbs however David continued to help out with  supplying fish as well as making deliveries.  

David’s son Gregory was born in 1959 at Snowtown Hospital and  soon aŌer the family moved to Murray Bridge to continue in Post Office work.  

A daughter Annette was born in 1961 followed by further daughters  Paula in 1963 and Lisa in 1971.  

David was very dedicated and hard-working, taking on jobs as truck driver, barman, electricity meter reader, general maintenance  worker, fencing contractor in addition to maintaining glasshouse  crops.  

David was devoted to supporting his family as well as assisting  anyone who needed a hand. David freely gave his time supporting many sports throughout his lifetime and was an  invaluable member of each sports club he was associated with. In  recognition of his voluntary work, he has been awarded Life  Memberships of the Rambler Football and Cricket Clubs, as well as  the Murray Bridge Basketball Association. David particularly enjoyed  supporting his children, including assisting as sports trainer with Ramblers and Norwood Football Clubs whilst Gregory was playing  there. David rarely missed watching many of his 12 grandchildren participate at sporting events and he was a familiar face in the community.  

David was devastated when Verna passed away unexpectedly in 2003. His heart was further broken when son Gregory passed away 4 years later.  

David passed away 21 June 2016 at Royal Adelaide Hospital  surrounded by his large family, from his children to great grandchildren. David holds a strong presence in everyone's hearts.

Eulogy for Verna Rumbelow 

Read by Greg Rumbelow 

Verna Doris Rumbelow (Mum) was born on 09/11/1936 at Murray Bridge Hospital to Norman and Kathleen Burt. Mum was the fourth of a total of nine children. The other children were Ronald, Valerie, Norma, Graham, Brian, Lorraine, Geoffrey and Maureen. The family lived at Naturi and soon after moved to Bordertown where Norman gained employment on a property at Buckingham. They stayed there for a few years and then moved back to Murray Bridge because of employment. 

Mum went to school at Murray Bridge Primary School starting in 1942 and leaving in 1949 when Geoffrey tragically died and she was needed to help raise the younger children and to help her mother around the house with the day to day running of it. Brian recalls that while at school Mum was showing some interest in a boy, but this soon stopped when Mum found out he was harassing Brian. Not only did she stop being interested in him, she warned him that if he continued harassing Brian, she would beat him up! I understand the harassment stopped immediately! This is an example of the loyalty that Mum showed to her family throughout her life.

Upon leaving school, Mum’s first job was working at the school tuck shop which was owned by her Mum and Dad. She had various jobs after this, working on the Riverboat, Merle, at Scounas café and the Railway refreshment rooms. After this, Mum moved to Victor 

Harbor to work at the Hotel Victor where her sister Norma was working. Mum had trouble convincing her Mum and Dad to let her go and it was not until Norma promised to look after her that they let her go. 

Not long after moving to Victor, Mum met a young lad by the name of David Rumbelow who would become a very important part of her life over the next 50 years. I would like to say that Grandma and Grandpa Burt were pleased with this pairing, but I can’t. I can say, however, that it didn’t take long for their attitude to change and for him to become part of the Burt clan. 

Mum and Dad were engaged on her 18"birthday and they moved back to Murray Bridge where Dad worked as a carpenter for Colin Bott and Mum worked at the District telephone exchange. 

In 1955 Grandma and Grandpa Burt purchased the local General Store at Port Broughton and the family, except for Ronald who was working at Eudunda’s at Bordertown, moved there. In order to try and build up the business, the family introduced the selling of fish and chips, which proved to be very successful.

The men of the family would catch most of the fish while Mum and the others worked hard in the shop trying to make ends meet. 

On 9/6/1956, Mum and Dad were married at Port Broughton and as was the case with Mum, she did a substantial amount of the catering for the reception. Over the ensuing years, Mum would do this numerous times for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. and it is clear that she has passed these skills on to the family. Anyone who has been to any of the family get togethers can attest to this. 

On 10/3/1959 their first child was born, a son they named Gregory David at the Snowtown Hospital. Mum told me of the numerous times she would take me down and sit under the jetty for hour upon hour on hot days until Dad finished work. 

After the shop was sold to Yvonne and Dean Hobbs (Dad's Sister and Husband), Dad was employed by the PMG and within the next 2 years they moved back to Murray Bridge where Dad was transferred in the PMG. I believe that they moved because Mum felt that there would not be enough job opportunities for her son when he got older, but I believe the real reason was to be close to her family.

Dad recalls that during the early years of marriage, Mum loved nothing more than to go to the local dances and that he was the envy of the hall being able to dance with Mum as she was an outstanding dancer. 

In 1961 Annette Kathleen was born at the Murray Bridge Hospital followed by Paula Lorraine in 1963, also at the Murray Bridge Hospital. 

Mum stayed at home looking after the children until 1967 when she took a job working for Hall Sanford Egg Factory in Adelaide, which meant that she had to travel to Adelaide each day. 

In 1971 Lisa Jane was born at Murray Bridge Hospital and although Mum never went back to a paying job as such, she worked extremely hard in the glasshouses as well as helping Dad with fencing. All of this while raising her family. 

In 1972 I took up the sport of basketball much to the disgust of Dad and I remember playing an A grade game against a Tailem Bend team. During the course of the game, one of the opposition players decided that I might look better wrapped around one of the steel support poles at the stadium. Mum was sitting on the second tier of the grandstand holding her youngest baby daughter in one arm, when she jumped from the stand and slapped the offending player in the face. The player in question never returned to play basketball! Once again Mum was showing her intense loyalty to her family. 

In 1983 Grandpa Burt died and Mum took on the responsibility of looking after Grandma, making sure that she kept her independence and continued to live in her own house. Mum would cook the meals, do the washing and with the help of her family take Grandma everywhere, including sporting events while continuing to look after her own family and house. Again showing loyalty to her family. It was during this time that I can tell everyone that Mum and Dad actually split up! They had an argument about something and Mum walked out vowing that she would never return. She would live with Grandma! Being the eldest child, I felt it was my duty to get them back together again and thankfully after 23 minutes I achieved this! 

Nine years ago Mum contracted Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and through strength and determination she successfully overcame it. 

Over the years, Mum has accomplished so many things in so many ways. Mum is a life member of the Murray Bridge Basketball Association. The Rambler Football Club holds a very special place in Mum’s heart being involved firstly with her brothers, then Dad, then myself, sons-in-law Darryl and Kevin and now grandsons Matthew, Bradley and Mark.

The Rambler Netball Club is also very dear with daughters Annette and Paula playing and now granddaughters Melissa, Alison, Natalie, Nicole and Brittany, all of whom have played for the club. The Rambler Cricket Club again with Dad and myself playing for a number of years and now Bradley and Mark. 

I believe that both Mum and Dad would have the record by a country mile for the Basketball Association for most number of games ever watched, having watched virtually every game that their children and grandchildren have played! 

Mum welcomed every one of the son and daughter-in-laws into the family and treated them as if they were her own, showing no favouritism to her own children. So much so that she would say if the in-laws ever had any problems they could come and live with her! 

Her grandchildren became a very important part of her life. She had no favourites and treated them all equally. She had a huge influence on their lives, helping to bring all of them up, babysitting them at a moment’s notice and always being there for the important occasions in their lives. Mum’s influence can be seen in the way the children are growing up and developing into the wonderful people they are today.

Mum lived her life as an example to us all. Her generosity to her family, her undying support in times of trouble and the ability she had of making each one of us feel special. She will always be remembered for the love she gave us and that she always put her family above all else.