Embedded Files
Email from Stig Falster, 11 Aug 2021
Sadly, ABHS has lost another old boy, Billy Webb.
Thanks to Vern Sotter, John Horsburgh and Bill Davis for their help in tracking this down to this stage.
Bill was a pioneer, in the first intake. As he left school in 4th year, he doesn’t appear in the 1964 yearbook. In any event, news from John Horsburgh is that Bill had blood cancer/leukaemia or similar. He was treated for some time but eventually gave up and decided to check out. He passed away on Saturday, 8th August.
Billy was well known to John as well as Bill Davis. John said he was not a tall guy, slim build and had heavy dark rimmed glasses at school. He lived in St. Ives as did John. They travelled to school together and kept a friendship over the years. In later years he had a business in Newcastle. He is survived by his wife Kerrie and two daughters.
Bill Davis responded with the following:
This news is a shock, as is news of the passing of any of our cohort. The aging process has nothing going for it.
Yes, I was good mates with Billy. During his time at ABHS he lived in the family home in Toolang Road, St Ives. His dad, Gordon, was the principal of Gordon public school. He was also close to Colin Henson. You might let Colin know separately assuming he doesn’t know.
He left ABHS in 4th year to become a wool classer and from what I can recall had some rollicking adventures in country NSW and Queensland. He teamed up with another wool classer named Phil Murphy who John Horsburgh will remember.
Christmas/New Year ‘65/’66 Billy and I jumped in my 1956 Morris Minor for a Gold Coast odyssey which lasted about 2 weeks mainly in Surfers Paradise pubs until the money ran out, just enough cash for the return trip fuel. While there we hooked up with another of our departed brethren, Ross Beverly. Billy was also mates with another of our departed brethren Tim Gibb.
I attended his wedding to Kerrie and spent a number of Christmas eves at his central coast home drinking beer and setting out carrots under the tree for Santa’s reindeer on behalf his daughters. We drank Santa’s beer. As I recall, mostly stayed the night and crept home early Christmas morning to my parents’ house at Saratoga.
We kept in reasonably close contact until the late 80’s when his business took him north.
I could go on and on, however, I think you get my drift.
RIP Billy Web
Stig,
That is such sad news. Thanks to Bill Davis for his summary which brought back a lot of wonderful memories.
As Bill mentioned I had a lot to do with Bill Webb 1958-60 riding our bikes to each other’s homes in St Ives and sometimes stayed over. Billy and I caddied at Pymble golf club from November 1959 and we ended up getting a golf club each ( oops I now wonder where from??) and hit balls to each other on the vacant land which is now the Cowan Road side of St Ives park.
I remember waiting in Bills dad’s car (squeezing my first onset of pimples) outside Gordon public school. Even now after all of these years when I drive past Gordon Public school, I think of Billy’s dad as headmaster and me squeezing pimples. It was either Billy’s dad or Tim Gibbs dad who went on a 14 day fast around that time to lose weight. I don’t remember whether the 14 days was achieved but I do remember whoever it was looked terrible. I digress.
Billy and I drifted apart during 1960 as we all tended to do. Classmates at St Ives public were separated into classes in line with their abilities in ABHS so we didn’t have the friendship we previously had. I’m looking now at a photo of Bill Davis and Michael Ramsden together in 1958 (St Ives 5A) and I don’t recall them having a close friendship in High School. Actually, in my case Billy was amazed and disowned me when he saw me holding hands with an Asquith girl on Turramurra station. ( she was my girlfriend until we were 16 when I met a girl who later became my wife) I digress again !!! ( that’s the problem when you sit back with a glass of red and think of the mostly enjoyable times all those years ago).
I attach a couple of photos of Bill both at my place at St Ives , one is of him watching something on our new PYE TV ………taken with my Brownie Box Camera.
I can’t compete with the comprehensive review by Bill Davis. He knew Billy for a very long time. In my case it was comparatively short but nevertheless, a very important and enjoyable period in my life.
RIP Billy.
Colin Henson
One thing I forgot to mention. You will notice in the photo of Billy that his part was on the right hand side of his head. This is, and was then, quite uncommon. Bill and I stood in front of a mirror one day and I moved my part from the left hand side to the right hand side of my head!! It was a bit of a problem at first because my hair would stand on end and I had a Dagwood bit coming out the back. Anyway over time it all settled down and I still have my part on the right hand side. - Colin Henson
[You are lucky you still have hair to part! - DW]
Thank you Stig and Colin and Bill for this rendition of Billy Webb. Sadly, I cannot remember him at all, but I can relate to all things that happened during this time between his friends. He will be missed by his family and all that knew him.
Cheers, Casper Ozinga
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse