Ron Wilkinson Tribute Onlinetributes.com.au

WILKINSON, Ron.
Of Fairlight. Passed away
peacefully on April 9, 2010, at Manly Waters Private Hosptal.
Beloved partner for 50 years of Bob Reed. Loved brother of John
and Richard. Sorely missed by Eddy Gonzales, Cina and Jessie.
Will also be very sadly missed by his extended family in the
U.K. and his many friends.

Aged 79 years

We have so many
happy memories.

You will be forever
in our hearts.

Ron Wilkinson
Eulogy
24 October 1930 – 9 April 2010

Ronald William Cyril Wilkinson was born on the 24th October 1930. His mother was Maud and his father, George. Ron had one sister and five brothers. Still living are John, who is 87 and residing in Old Harlow, UK, and his younger brother Richard, who is here with us today. Richard lives on the beautiful island of Jersey in the Channel Isles.
Ron has had the most interesting of lives and without doubt, has lived every day to the full. He spent his youth in Tottenham and enjoyed playing soccer. He has often spoke about heading off to the beach on summer weekends, leaving home in glorious sunshine, but by time he got close to the beach the weather would change and down would come the rain.
Around the age of 12 he was bundled up, like tens of thousand London children and sent to live on a farm, far away from the air raids and the flying buzz bombs that rained down on the city.
Within a couple of years, the Second World War was over and he returned home.
By the age of 14 years he was over 6 foot tall and found he had a great talent! Namely: ‘Shopping’, so with ration book in hand, he would go and buy the groceries for the family, including nice cuts of meats that were then still hard to get. How could any butcher not give him the best cuts or quantity to this smiling youngster?
That beautiful smile remained with Ron for the rest of his life and even when he fell ill, he would still smile and his bright blue eyes would lighten up the room.
His first job, at fourteen, was working for the Post Office and then, through loads of ambition, he secured a job with the Midland Bank.
In those days salaries were hardly enough to live on. Then someone said to Ron “You know that by working for the National Bank of Australasia, here, they will pay you what you would earn if you were in Australia” which happened to be about double what he was then receiving. Naturally he applied for a job with the NAB and was hired.
Being in his mid twenties and disliking the so called English summers and hating the winters even more, there was only one thing to do. Migrate to the Great Continent of Australia, where every day is bathed in sunshine and fortunes are be made, and all for just ten pounds. Not forgetting it included a free six weeks holiday on a cruise liner. So Ron boarded the SS Fairsea, which went via Italy, then onto Fremantle, then Melbourne, and after sailing through the heads, in Sydney, he disembarked, on a perfect summer Saturday. The following Monday was his first day at work as a teller at the NAB’s, Bondi Junction branch. Unfortunately someone had forgotten to tell him that Sydney also has heatwaves and that first day the temperature rose to 108F. Sydney was surrounded by bushfires and the sun turned red. Around that time there were more than a few English migrants who packed up and sailed back to the Old Dart. Ron certainly wasn’t going to be one of them. He was here to stay and enjoy whatever lay ahead.
National bank asked Ron if he would like to go on their relieving staff and get to see the outback”. Being adventurous, how could he possibly refuse? After visiting a few country towns, he ended up at Gravesend for a month or so. He often remarked that it truly lived up to its name.
The last country move was to Newcastle where he stayed for eighteen months. This is where he met his partner, Bob, and they happily spent the next fifty years together.
It was as if destiny had pre-planned their meeting at the Rendezvous Coffee Shop on the evening of 21 August 1959. Bob always thought and said so, but Ron was too much a gentleman to comment!
Ron found them a nice little flat at 35 Doris Street North Sydney, where they stayed for four years.
Ron had a real desire to buy a new car and Bob wanted a home of their own, so one Saturday morning they went out to buy a car and returned later that day to the flat having put down a deposit on a house at Neutral Bay.
Bob got his way, which was generally the case. Ron was just so easy going and just took it all in his stride. They stayed at that house for eight enjoyable years and then decided to sell up and move closer to a beach. Having found a really nice house with a big garden in December 1973 they moved to 66 Lauderdale Avenue Fairlight. Ron wanted a swimming pool and Bob gave him Sydney Harbour to splash around in.
As you would all agree, Ron always had the amazing ability to make friends everywhere he went and so many of these people remained friends for life. Not only was the kettle always on for tea, coffee and definitely a slice of cake or two. There was always an invitation to stay for dinner and a superbly cooked meal would be put in front of you. He never had a cooking lesson in his life, but could cook a main meal as good as any top chef and his reputation for making cakes spread far and wide.
One year he cooked 27 large Christmas cakes and gave them all away to friends and the elderly people who were on the Meals on Wheels run.
The only complaint was there was never enough.
On reflection Bob thinks six bottles of French brandy went into making them.
One funny thing happened at an afternoon tea party that was put on for a few friends. In the morning Ron brought out a fruit cake that he had made a couple of weeks early and he said “I think it might need a little more brandy” During the afternoon tea a comment was made to how wonderful the fruit cake tasted, then Ron said “Be careful. I put more brandy on it”, to which Bob said “So did I” There must have been at least a full cup of Brandy poured on top. Hopefully, they weren’t driving home and stopped by the police to blow in the bag! A poor excuse would be, it must be the fruit cake!

There are far too many wonderful memories to remember them all, - the good friends and fantastic overseas holidays. Ron was so lucky to have been transferred into travel section at the NAB. This allowed him to see so many overseas countries, staying at fine hotels. He especially enjoyed Banff Springs Hotel in Canada. He also got many opportunities to return home to see his family as well. But most enjoyable of all, was Switzerland where Ron and Bob stayed on numerous occasions with wonderful friends, Erica and Andreas, at their lovely home in Bern.
Their lives changed when they met their good friend, Eddy, who moved in to share their home. He brought with him ‘Cina’, the most beautiful natured dog, and their arrival truly changed Ron’s life. It was good-bye overseas holidays. Ron was so content to stay at home, pottering around the garden, cooking delicious meals and taking Cina for her walks to the park!
Then, by chance, they met She` who owned Jessie. As fate would have it, Jessie came to visit and stayed.
As far as Ron was concerned, everything he ever wanted was now his: his lifetime partner, two lovely dogs, a nice home and lots of friends and good health.

Having arrived in Sydney fifty three years before, Ron’s cup of life was overflowing.
His beautiful smile was there for everyone he met and he was loved by so, so many people.
Then on the 3rd January of this year, something happened that changed Ron’s life for ever.
What was thought to be a slight stroke, turned out to be a brain tumour. Even after being diagnosed, he was still the same Ron and nothing was going to change him. He continued walking the dogs and cooking and it was as though nothing had changed in life, and he would live forever.
Even through Radiotherapy sessions, he continued to make fruit muffins for the patients and staff at the Oncology section at Royal North Shore Hospital. Bob will tell you: he made over 90. They never lasted long, once the cake container was opened.
Though he was told by his doctors that his life would be cut short by the tumour, he retained his dignity right to the very end.

So many E-mails arrived with the most beautiful comments and sentiments.
There were many people who visited Ron while he was in hospital and the most telling comment Ron made about his illness, was to good friend, Richard Jones, and that was “It is a pity.”




(To quote Bob) :

Yes Ron it is a pity. But we want you to know that there will be a place in our hearts for you and you will never, never be forgotten. We will always love you, as you loved us.
You have always been, and will remain one of life’s finest gentlemen,
Your beautiful smile will be with us all forever.
Without doubt, we will meet again somewhere, sometime.
We Will Always Love You Ron
You haven’t really gone away, you’ve just taken the dogs out for a long walk!


RON'S family and friends attended a celebration of his life, held in its entirety in the Ann Wilson Chapel, corner of Barrenjoey Road and Darley Street, Mona Vale, on Wednesday (April 14, 2010) at 12 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, family and friends were asked to consider a donation to Cancer
Research.

Arranged through ANN WILSON FUNERALS
An Australian Company

9971 4224