I received the following devastating news via e-mail to our 13th MOBI Intake from Chippy Ned this afternoon...

Hi everybody,

It is with a sad heart that I need to inform you of the passing of one of our great mates. Frank Eastwell crossed the bar last night after a battle with cancer.

Jude was away and will be home tomorrow, but their daughter Michelle asked Denise to let everyone know.

Frank's funeral will be held at 11am next Monday 20th October in the North Chapel in the Pine Grove Memorial Park and Crematorium.

The location is in Kingston Street (off Great Western Highway) Eastern Creek 2766. Phone 02 9675 2296

Rest in peace old buddy, may you have fair winds and smooth seas.

Rick, please put a tribute to Frank on the Skilled Hands website.

Regards, Ned.

_________________

Rick Pengilly
WEBMASTER
Ex-CPOMTH3
R42630
13th MOBI Intake
July'62 to July'74
HMAS Nirimba - HMAS Melbourne - HMAS Cerberus - HMAS Tarangau - HMAS Lonsdale - HMAS Tarangau - HMAS Nirimba - HMAS Brisbane

Aaah ...... that is sad. Knew Frank fairly well. Fair winds Frank. RIP.

Vale Frank, fair winds and a following sea. Such sad tidings.

_________________

Chris O'Keefe
R43136
Ex WO Chippy
19th MOBI Intake
July 65 to July 85
HMAS Nirimba X 4 -Penguin-Sydney-Queenborough - Creswell - Moreton - Stalwart - Platypus - Coonawarra Reconstruction Team 76 - Platypus - Hobart - Cerberus - FHQ - Coonawarra.

Anyone can be ordinary. Shipwrights choose to be extraordinary!

It is indeed devastating news to hear that our fellow 13th MOBI Intake Chippy Ex-CPOMTH3 Frank Eastwell
has succumed to the dreaded 'Big C'...

As far as our 13th Intake was concerned, we had the largest contingent of Naval Shipwright Apprentices (27)
in RANATE's history and I'd like to think that those of us who made it through, became close friends...

Moreover, Frank and especially his wife Judy were the glue that kept our Intake together, prime movers and
shakers in most of our past 13th MOBI Intake Reunions and Cruises...


Frank, flanked by Barrie Robinson (L) and Bob Moult (R) at our 50th Reunion in Tanunda, S.A. back in 2012


Frank and Jude never moved far from our olde 'Alma Mater', with Jude becoming the local Postmistress and
with the family still living in Quakers Hill today...

Frank was also very active in the Nirimba Sub-Branch of the Naval Association of Australia in Blacktown and
was a key player in the (now bi-annual) HMAS Nirimba - RANATE Memorial Rededication ceremonies.



Frank, (5th from the left,) with other past MOBIs at the last HMAS Nirimba - RANATE Memorial Rededication


I would like to pass my sincere condolences to Jude and to their children, Michelle, Darren and Troy and their
extended families...

Frank, you will be sadly missed... Rest on your oars, my good friend, your voyage is done...

_________________

Rick Pengilly
WEBMASTER
Ex-CPOMTH3
R42630
13th MOBI Intake
July'62 to July'74
HMAS Nirimba - HMAS Melbourne - HMAS Cerberus - HMAS Tarangau - HMAS Lonsdale - HMAS Tarangau - HMAS Nirimba - HMAS Brisbane

Very sad news indeed!!

Vale Frank, rest your oars, may you have fair winds and following seas.

_________________
Mike (Pony) Moore
O42860
Ex-LT GLEN(ME)
16th MOBI intake
Jan 64 - Jul 88.
Anzac, Nirimba, Stalwart, Moresby, Creswell, Waterhen, Penguin, Vampire, GMGID (PJP), Coonawarra, Attack, Ardent, Cook, Kuttabull, Cerberus.

May your walls know joy; May every room hold laughter and every window open to great possibility.

Goodbye old buddy we will all miss you. You were forever the gentleman, regularly saying .... 'Ned stop swearing' at our reunions.

Your passing has left a hole in the lives of your 13th Intake term mates and the many Naval personnel and civies you have touched in your life.

Rest in peace Frank.

_________________

John Kelly (WEBMASTER)
R42620
Ex-WOMTH
13th MOBI Intake
July'62 to July'83
Nirimba x3 - Rushcutter - Sydney x2 (Carrier) - Melbourne (Carrier) - Penguin - Kuttabul - Creswell x3 - Stalwart x2 - Brisbane.

Sorry to hear you have all lost a good buddy in Frank. Please accept my condolences.

_________________
Liz Stoffels (WBCB)
Kellick Writer
ADFM and Clasp, ADM
1977-1990; 2000-2010 Cerberus x 2, Navy Office x 4, Albatross, Kuttabul x 2.

Sorry to hear of that sad news.

He will be sadly missed in the Chippy world.

Vale Frank

_________________
Brian Carney
R43371
Ex-WOMTP5
22nd Mobi Intake
Jan 67 - Jan 89
RANATE, Sydney, Swan, Creswell, Stalwart (FMU), Cerberus, Derwent, Nirimba, Parramatta, Nirimba, FHQ (FMMO).

Only aware of Frank through Nirimba however after reading the above tributes it is evident he was a popular member of the mobi/chippy brotherhood.
Rest easy Frank in your clik-clik chair in chippy heaven.

_________________
Graeme 'Smiley' Rhodes
R94714
Ex-CPOMTP(D)5
Jan'65 Leeuwin Intake (10th) - Jan'66 Nirimba Intake (20th)
Jan'65 to Mar '88
Leeuwin, Nirimba, Stalwart, Samarai, Lae, Penguin, Curlew, Buccaneer, Navy Office, Barbette, Cairns, RANTTU (based in Port Moresby), Stirling, Bunbury.

Another one of my "brothers" taken far too early, Frank Eastwell, as Ned said, "a true gentleman", he fought the dreaded "C" with all his might but it wasn't to be and it took him in the end, my deepest sympathies go to Jude and family.
Most of our 13th intake are very close but the "chippies" are a particularly close unit and to all of them I say " be strong, keep well and stay safe and I LOVES YOUSE ALL."

_________________
Bob Moult
R42629
Ex-CPOMTH
13th MOBI Intake
1962 to 1982
Nirimba, Sydney, Melbourne, Tarangau, Penguin, Albatross Kuttabul, Harman, Hobart, Platypus, Duchess, Brisbane, Moreton