RIP in 2024

A list of Patricians (mid 2023 to the present) who are no longer with us can be found by clicking this link.

Notices or short paragraphs describing the lives of Patricians who have passed away prior to 2023 can be found on a 'sub page' of this section (see menu above or click here).

Tony Gaynor has maintained a much longer list of Patricians (from 1981 to 2018) who are now resting in peace.

Tom BROPHY (50-57; Rev. Fr.)

Tom died on 28 April 2024. He began at St Pat’s in Grade V and continued through to Matric in 1957. After secondary school he began an Arts degree at the University of Melbourne, finishing his studies at the Teachers College. Although he was raised in the inner suburbs of Melbourne (the family home was in Moreland Rd), his teaching career began in Ballarat at Sebastapol Tech.

After a number of years teaching, he took time off to travel around Europe, meeting Pope Paul VI while there. Perhaps that was the spark that caused him to change his career so that, on returning to Melbourne, he began studies for the priesthood at Werribee, and was ordained in 1972. He then chose to return to Ballarat again, this time teaching a different message, and he remained in that diocese for the rest of his priesthood until retirement in 2015. During that time he was assigned to many different parishes and so became well-known throughout the entire region of Western Victoria.

He was a dedicated priest, often being appointed to a parish in ‘difficult’ circumstances. Even though he would later be re-assigned to a new parish, Tom retained in contact with many of his ‘old’ parishioners, often traveling large distances to return to previous parishes for weddings and other ceremonies.

After his retirement his love of travel saw him again in Europe, and again chatting to the Pope (Francis this time!). One of his favourite photos was of him and the Pope together.

In 2020 his health began to decline and, in 2022 he moved to Nazareth House, and then to Justin Villa Aged Care in Balwyn where he could be closer to family. Further deterioration in his health resulted in his passing in April 2024.

At his funeral, his brother, Bernie, recalled many fine characteristics of Tom but he said that many people summed up Tom simply by saying that ‘he was a good man’, in every sense of the word.

RIP Tom.

Bill DWYER (44-47, SJ)

Fr Bill Dwyer was born on 15 May 1930 and died on 12 November 2024. He began his St Pat’s education in 1944, in Sub Intermediate, and continued until he completed Matric. He regularly featured on the list of subject awards in the annual Patrician magazines with many mentions for Latin, French, English, General Science and Chemistry. But academic performance wasn’t the only area that defined him during his four years as a Patrician. He was also a regular member of one or other of the Sodalities, he reached the rank of Warrant Officer in the cadets, played footy in the 2nd XVIII for his last two years and was treasurer of the Social Studies club.

After leaving school and going directly to Loyola College, Watsonia, in 1948 he was still remembered at St Pat’s through regular entries among the Notes of Past Students, including the news in 1952 of his transfer to India. He remained in India for the remainder of his life apart, from a short stint back in Australia in 2013.

There are many details of his life which have been recorded on the Jesuit website.

In addition, a few years ago he wrote a short outline of how he came to follow his calling to the priesthood and what were some of his experiences when in India (as much as 60 years can be summarized into a page!). That outline can be read here.

In addition to those historical facts and recollections, it is also of interest to read some extracts from the travel diary of Ancita d’Cunha (Australian Province Support Officer) when she went to Hazaribag in March 2018. Having landed at Ranchi airport (two hours from Hazaribag) they received a warm welcome from Fr Bill Dwyer and his driver. Regularly while there, she saw examples of how ‘gracious, considerate and kind a man Bill is. I am humbled to see how he and the other Jesuits treat their staff ... and each other’. Then, as the trip developed, she noted that he was ‘an inspiration to watch in action’. She saw and heard of many examples of stories about people who ‘are forever grateful to him’ as a result of the way he looked after them when they experienced various difficulties.

More recently (August 2024), he wrote to SPOCA in response to an earlier email. He gave some recollections of his St Pat’s years and classmates as follows ...

Many thanks for your letter. It was good to be in touch again with the old school, and to be reminded that there are still some "old boys" around. We are a dwindling family.

I find it difficult to recall even the names of my 1947 Matric class.

You spoke of Conway Tighe. Was he in my class or a class behind? I remember him well because the Tighes were an Essendon family with a well known dairy. Jack and David Walsh, John Playle, John Byrne, Kevin Hoctor - all Essendon boys. I suspect they have all passed on. Over the years I lost touch. Phil Hosking - Head Prefect of St Pat's 1944, the year I joined the school - was in the same community as me; I was Principal of St Xavier's, Hazaribag, with Phil as Prefect of Studies. Phil is well remembered as a good English teacher. We often talked about "those days". In our reading room is a copy of MORE THAN A SCHOOL. I sometimes turn the pages.

I recently celebrated my 94th birthday, the Jesuit brethren and the Sisters who teach in our school gave me a party, wishing that I bat I on to the century. Not in my hands! I am in fairly good health; get around on a stick; still drive - in the back streets when I go out in the early morning for Mass in a convent.

Well, Paul, keep reminding us of SEMPER ET UBIQUE FIDELIS and say hello to any of the old boys who may remember me.

The Lord's blessing,

Bill Dwyer SJ

Bill was a great man in every way and will be a loss to the communities where he lived as well as those further away.

RIP Bill

Ferruccio ROMANIN SJ (1943)

Ferruccio died on 28 October 2024. Judging by the last three entries here, it seems that some of our OP clerics have decided to meet up again in a different place! There is not much that can be said about Ferruccio that isn't already written on the Jesuit website (here). What little there might have been can't, because he chose his only year at St Pat's to be the one when a Patrician magazine wasn't written at its end. He does get a mention in the 1944 edition, but only via the many 'placings' he received in most of the subjects he studied in "Grammar II" (we'll leave it to those familiar enough with that earlier terminology referring to grade levels; suffice it to say that, had he continued, it would have been about three years before he reached Intermediate).

Ferruccio RIP

Michael HEAD SJ (58-66)

Michael Head SJ died on 15 October 2024. He had been at St Pat’s from 1958 to 1966. After that, he went directly into training at Loyola and eventually being ordained in 1980. His work in many fields since then has been widely reported, with roles which included time as rector at St Leo’s, the Province Archivist, an author, and more.

It is also worth recalling Michael back when we first knew him – his ‘pre-Jesuit’ years. Throughout his time at St Pat’s he was always getting involved in a range of pursuits. He was a member of the Sodality of Our Lady (showing early signs of an interest in at least the formalities of the Mass, he was in charge of teaching the procedures of serving Mass to younger students).To the surprise of some (which only shows how memory can fade), Michael was active and reasonably capable in a range of sports, particulary swimming: in his senior years he won the 110 yd freestyle, placed in the 44yd butterfly and backstroke, and placed in the overall Open age group championship. In addition, he was a member of the 2nd XVIII and 1st XVIII footy teams, and academically he showed an early interest and capability in History (placing in British History and Modern History, an academic area which he continued to work in during his clerical career).

One of his proudest achievements and reported as such by Fr Gerry Healy in the eulogy at the requiem mass, was Michael’s record in cadets. He was the longest ever serving member of the Cadet Unit while retaining his rank as ‘Cadet’ (i.e. Private)! He was also recorded in the 1965 Patrician as receiving the ‘Special Services’ award.

Gerry also recalled Michael’s ‘wicked sense’ of humour, and that observation saw a number of faces smiling and heads nodding.

Since Michael’s passing and the sending out of the email by SPOCA to the OP community there have been many who sent reply emails recalling their time with Michael at St Pat’s. Fr Gerry McKernan, Joseph Santamaria, Simon Clark, Michael Curtain, Paul Santamaria, John Patterson, Denis Quinn and many committee members.

The funeral was attended by over a dozen OPs – photos of some of those can be seen here (there were a few others whom we didn’t quite catch for the pics). There is an edited version of the eulogy delivered by Gerry Healy which can be read here.

RIP Michael

John Gerrard FENNELL (45-51)

John was born in 1934 and died on 10 October, 2024. Most recently he had been living in the Malvern area and had been suffering from Parkinson's disease for some time. He began at St Pat's in Grade 5 and progressed through to Leaving when he left. After school he still kept in touch with the College via SPOCA, in the early years at least. He was a Preston boy and began working with the Department of Agriculture after school.

The annual Patrician magazines always had a section in which the activities of past students were recorded. On those pages he was noted as being a regular attendee of SPOCA functions (the Sports Social and the Dinner Dance to name just two in 1960), and was noted as being a 'paid up member' in 1957! But his more well-known claim to fame was being an early face on the then fairly new phenomenon of television. By 1960 he was having more than passing success on TV quiz shows, recorded as having 'played a very profitable part in T.V. quiz shows during the year'!

RIP John

Michael MORGAN (53-56; Rev. Fr.)

Michael passed away on Sunday 29 September. [Newspaper entries, below, provide brief records of his family and life; funeral details, including streaming, can be found here ... for those who are interstate and interested in the online view of the funeral, remember that the times are 'Vic times'; DST began on Oct 6].

From The Age

The above might be a bit too small for 'tired eyes' so click here to open in a new tab for larger view.

From the Herald-Sun

Noel BELFRAGE (44-50)

Noel passed away on 18 September 2024 having reached the grand age on 91 earlier this year.

Noel Belfrage was born in April 1933 and attended St Pat’s from 1944 to 1950, his final year being Matric (‘second year Matric’ as was the norm for many of us). He was, without doubt, an all-rounder at school. In his second year in Matric, he was School Captain, Captain of the First XI, dux of the school (winning a number of prizes, mainly in Languages and English, at the Annual Speech Night), and many other things besides, all of them described in detail in the 1950 edition of the Patrician. From that link, it is only a hop, step and a jump to find copies of earlier Patricians to read more of Noel’s life at St Pat’s. There are also numerous references to contirubtions made by his younger brother, George, who went on to spend his life as part of the Jesuit community, including time in the Salisbury parish in South Australia during the 1970s.

After leaving school, Noel undertook a B.A. with Honours and then studied for his Dip. Ed. His teaching career included time at Northcote High School. He and his wife Helen had a family of eight children. One of his daughters, Abigail, became a professional historian and archivist and, in that role, later wrote a reflective essay about life around Northcote HS entitled A Stroll Along the Merri.

Noel lived a long life, spending his final years in the care of the staff at Sambell Lodge in Clifton Hill.

RIP Noel ... a Patrician life to be celebrated.

Terry Lane (59-63)

Terry died on 15 June 2024. He was the brother of other well-known Patricians, Brendan and Kevin.

A newspaper article in The Age (25 Sept 2024) contains quite some detail about Terry's life after leaving St Pat's and can be read at this link. If the link has expired over time, there is a copy of article here.

Vin Bourke (65-68)

Vin died as a result of a medical episode while driving in Bacchus Marsh on Tuesday 16 April 2024. He was driving his car with his wife Helen when the car hit a tree. Both were transferred to Royal Melbourne Hospital but unfortunately only one of them – Helen – was able to be saved. He was in Leaving during his last year at St Pat's, and represented to SPC in both the First XVIII and XI footy and cricket teams. He completed his last year of schooling at Xavier, after which he spent most of his working life in Local Government, principally as a property valuer in the north-west suburbs of Melbourne and nearby regional areas.

He continued his sporting interests after school, especially with the Sunshine YCW, receiving a life membership there in 1987. A popular personality at St Pat's, he will be sorely missed by his Helen, his older brother Phil and other family members. RIP Vin.

Tony BAHR (61-68)

Tony died peacefully overnight on 23 March 2024. He had been valiant in his efforts to continue life as normal over recent years, despite his battle with cancer. Over the last couple of months, a number of his old mates visited him in Pakenham (see the article in the Alumni/Patricians Recently section of this website), and he was adamant that he was going to attend our annual gathering at the Glenferrie Hotel in February 2024. His presence there was an inspiration to all. RIP Tony.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse