Sir Walter part of the upstairs Saints match commitee

[stinger]

Commiserations St Pat. It's so sad to say the final goodbye to a parent. It closes the door on so many of those treasured childhood/ teenage and adult memories where they were such a constant in our lives.

I can empathise with your feelings at this present time. As saintbrat mentioned in post in this thread some of us on this site have been through the same expenerience as you this year.

Our dear saint supporting Mum died earlier this year at 91 years plus. She would arrange the family expedition to the Junction Oval in the 1950's. It would take 1 bus ride and two tram trips to get there. She had to organise 4 children (decked out in saints footy jumpers or scarves and colours) and 1 husband, plus food to feed the tribe. When we played away from the Junction Oval it was more of a logistical manouvre for her. Wow the trip to Geelong was planned for months in advance. Dad was promoted to chaufeur as his work truck was required. We kids could invite a friend to come along. What fun it was, all of us kids and our friends sitting on the back tray (those that can remember back to the 1950's early 60's - there weren't any sides on the back of trays trucks - utes hadn't been invented!) of a 'Willies Overland'. The Geelong Highway was only a one lane road in them days, so poor Mum spent most of the hour long plus trip looking out the back window to check that none of us had fallen off. To think these days it is outlawed for people to travel in the back of such vehicles and animals have to be secured!! So Mum did a pretty good job making sure the number she took out returned home. Plus she had to factor in Dad's beers he drank at the footy, so I'm sure she had to navigate a fair amount of the time. No .05 in them days!

Then whenever we got home from a game on a Saturday evening it was time for Dad to chew the fat with neighbours about footy results, time for my brothers to run wild in the bacykard or living room kicking paper footys around, time for my sister and I to lounge around and swoon about seeing Neville Linney, Peter Bennet and Keith Drinan (our heros in them there days)............................ did our dear Mum have such a luxury to sit back and reflect on her day out seeing the Saints................. Nup she had to get into the kitchen and cook the evenig meal for her tribe. Usually on a Sat Night it was 'Footy Stew'. Poor Mum even had to keep her ear alert for the paper boy coming around so we got our evening copy of the sports edition of "The Herard" and the pink "Sporting Globe". In hindsight I bet she never ever got the time to read them until about wednesday.

Yes St Pat I agree with your sentiments to those that still have their parents......."cherish them".

It hurts when you have to finally say goodbye........still it's comforting to look back and say to them THANKS. One word is really not enough is it?

Thoughts with you St Pat.

i loved reading that loris...thanks for sharing.....

[stinger]

from this thread it would appear that many regular ss posters suffered sad news this year and I'm guessing many more who haven't said..


on the flip side I remember that several welcomed or are going to welcome new little sainters to lift the spirits.

i keep getting mum's mail.....including christmas cards from people i didn't know existed...or ones i didn't know how to contact.....just had to tell some dear old friends of her's that she died six months ago......got their address off their card.and the nsw coastal town where they retired to.......the rest was easy in these days of computers......but..brings it all back....

[joffaboy]

Condolences Pat for yourself and your family.

Another Sainter sitting with the Saints.

[WayneJudson42]

Beutifully written Pat, and my prayers are also with you.

My dad passed away 18 months ago. The one tie we had was going to the footy.

Almost every Saturday, without fail, we'd hop into his XC wagon and head off on anew adventure. I remember us getting lost on our first journeys to VFL park and Windy Hill. Practice games, in the players rooms.. you name it, we did it.

Every blinking Saturday... Eggs and bacon for lunch, then we'd pack the Colvan chips and a can of SSW lemonade, and off we went.

He still had the same jacket he wore to the games when he died @ 79 years of age. Talk about mempries.

Now my 5 year old is just getting into it, and here we go again....

[degruch]

My condolances to you and your family Pat. Love what you (and Loris too) wrote and glad to hear you consider members (well, some, I'm sure) of this forum close enough to convey the sad news and express your feelings to mate. All the best.

Hope the Saints get up with Sir Walter chipping in on the selections for '09.

Cheerio,
degruch

[Joffa Burns]

My Dad Walter passed away ten days ago from mesophilioma[asbestos from his navy days] and was one of the most passionate St.Kilda supporters of all time...

Went missing for a week in 66 when we won the flag and was still going for the occasional nervous walk when listening to close games well into his 80,s a habit which he has passed onto his son Patrick

One of his final treasures was a poster signed by Harves which said..
"To Sir Walter from Robert Harvey" which will be framed and kept as a family airloom.

Wanted one more flag for Dad but with him on the match commitee upstairs we have never been in better hands

Was carried out of the Sorrento church this monday to Louie Armstrongs version of the Saints go marching in which he would have loved

For those of you lucky enough to still have your parents...cherish them everyday.

Beautifully written saint patrick and sincere condolences for your loss.

I was four when we won in '66 and not old enough to remember or enjoy the victory. I am assuming your dad enjoyed every bit of '66

Do you think you or I will see another saints flag in our life time?

[stinger]

My Dad Walter passed away ten days ago from mesophilioma[asbestos from his navy days] and was one of the most passionate St.Kilda supporters of all time...

Went missing for a week in 66 when we won the flag and was still going for the occasional nervous walk when listening to close games well into his 80,s a habit which he has passed onto his son Patrick

One of his final treasures was a poster signed by Harves which said..
"To Sir Walter from Robert Harvey" which will be framed and kept as a family airloom.

Wanted one more flag for Dad but with him on the match commitee upstairs we have never been in better hands

Was carried out of the Sorrento church this monday to Louie Armstrongs version of the Saints go marching in which he would have loved

For those of you lucky enough to still have your parents...cherish them everyday.

Beautifully written saint patrick and sincere condolences for your loss.

I was four when we won in '66 and not old enough to remember or enjoy the victory. I am assuming your dad enjoyed every bit of '66

Do you think you or I will see another saints flag in our life time?

i was 21 when we won our first......thought we would win heaps more.........was convinced we would win in 71.......i vividly remember bragging to my work collegues that plugger would win more than one or two for us.......gawd i hate that fat f*** brownless and his killer mate.......we were a certainty beaten that year......at half time in 97 i was fairly confident.......well...as confident as any saints supporter ever gets to be........i was certain that grant thomas and the boys would end our misery........didn't happen..........we are running out of time joffa.......well...i am at least......

[saint1974]

Condolences saint pat loris stinger and saint brat all beautiful stories I am only new to this forum as I stumbled on it by accident when I had a lot of time on my hands due to a cancer diagonosis I have never met any of you but what a great lot of people you are.

Its amazing how we love our sainters so much through family history at the start of every season I look up and say to my dear late granny who passed away 12 years ago maybe this will be the year.

She was the one who gave me the love of my club and I still miss her at the start of every season.

My thoughts are with you all who have lost a loved one.

[St Fidelius]

My Dad Walter passed away ten days ago from mesophilioma[asbestos from his navy days] and was one of the most passionate St.Kilda supporters of all time...

Went missing for a week in 66 when we won the flag and was still going for the occasional nervous walk when listening to close games well into his 80,s a habit which he has passed onto his son Patrick

One of his final treasures was a poster signed by Harves which said..
"To Sir Walter from Robert Harvey" which will be framed and kept as a family airloom.

Wanted one more flag for Dad but with him on the match commitee upstairs we have never been in better hands

Was carried out of the Sorrento church this monday to Louie Armstrongs version of the Saints go marching in which he would have loved

For those of you lucky enough to still have your parents...cherish them everyday.

So sad to hear of your loss...

I would like a chat with you at a better time about Navy personal being exposed to cancer threatening exposure, as I had served 6 years in the RAN, but in time I will like to discuss that issue..

Take care over this Christmas period and my thought are with you and your family

[happy feet]

Sincere condolences Saint Pat on the loss of your father. My Dad is almost 86 and is travelling ok for someone of his age. Earlier this year my sister had the chance to meet Robert Harvey. She asked him to hurry up and win a premiership and said her father was 85 and running out of time. He replied, never mind your father, I'm running out of time.

Your father will be sitting somewhere with all the other great Saints supporters listening to Killa preach that hot gospel that so inspired our players of past. When we win that next Premiership, as we soon will, they will all look down on us with a great smile.

RIP Sir Walter
Go Saints

[santazzi]

I did not open this thread until a few minutes ago. My deepest thoughts are with you Pat and all others...loris, stinger, etc .....who shared your loss with your forum family........I am still wiping tears off my eyes.....imagining the life of Pats dad and Loris' mum as sainters...........As such situations tend bring memories I also reflect on the parents I lost............

It seems to me that as years go bye we will be losing legendary saints....unfortunately most of them close to us.......I just wonder whether we as forumites wish to dedicate a given game the first, the fifth, the eleventh....or what ever the home and away game use it to remember those who were close to us and our beloved club and we have lost.......just a thought..........

[Armoooo]

Great Idea Santazzi, if done right it could really be the sort of thing that brings people closer together and puts away our silly squabbles and reminds us all that no matter what differences we have, we are here for the same reason and that is the love of our great club...

[sendmehomehappy]

Condolences to St.Pat and all the others who have lost loved ones recently...be they Sainters or not.

Some great stories by the way.

Perhaps this is not the most cheerful thread upon which to unleash my debut post...however let's go:

I too lost my father a few months ago..he was in his eighties...but enjoying life and making every post a winner(I know this is not a racing forum)...until a fairly rapid demise. So treasure them while they are still here.

He was a mad keen Sainter...and I had no other choice but to be also. I have some wonderful (mainly) footy associated memories:

When I was a kid...hanging out with him and other crazed fans at the regular pre-match barbies around Moorabbin.

Standing with him in the outer at Linton street eating pies in the rain...the Saints may not have won many..but they made the other bastards earn it.

The many long sad walks through the side-streets afterwards...engaging in our post-mortem and what ifs?

Watching the Sunday footy show on Seven together and him cursing and mum screaming because our game always seemed to get discussed last.

At one game, I screamed out something like..."Oh wow, big Carl!" Only to be fully chastened when dad and his mates turned around and admonished... take it easy, it's only Brian Mynott..."

He did get me a ticket to '66 when I was a youngster...and at the siren we jumped up and danced on the seats with the old timer behind us, who said.."Now I can die happy..."

Now to my nick : Dad used to yell this out "Send me home happeeeeeeee!" after most Saints goals..esp. in the close games. And then a little blood would finally return to his knuckles. He'd settle back, pop another quarter valium, clamp the tranny to his ear and eagerly await the next sublime pass from Nicky to Plugger.

Dad was a real good bloke... sorely missed... and he kicked a few goals for the Sainters too...in all too few games...his biggest regret.

[saintbrat]

welcome ' sendmehomehappy'
as you can see we're all just humans with a united passion.........


they'll get back to bickering after the new year euphoria wears off.