I have just received the following via email. We've lost another of our own.

Chris,

Was looking for my Aunty's funeral notice in the Newcastle Herald and came across this. Graham was a top bloke. I didn't serve with Graham but knew him from Muswellbrook High as a lad and our paths crossed on several occasions throughout my Naval career. He was a great mate of my brother Brian. I think Graham was a Chippy from memory...
Graham was born in Orange NSW, grew up in Muswellbrook NSW and saw service in Vietnam on HMAS Sydney in 1971.

Doc.

NORTON

GRAHAM FRANCIS
Passed away peacefully
Surrounded by family on
18th June 2010
Aged 58 Years

Loving and devoted husband of KYM, loving father and father-in-law to KARINE and CHRIS COLEMAN, adoring pop to TAKIRA and RILEY. Dearly loved brother, son, son-in-law, brother, brother-in-law and uncle.

Relatives and Friends are respectfully invited to attend the Funeral Service celebrating GRAHAM's life to be held at the Newcastle Memorial Park Crematorium, Anderson Drive, Beresfield on THURSDAY 24/6/2010 commencing at 11.00am.

Forever in our hearts


Adamstown 4957 0237
Australian Owned

RIP Graham

_________________

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!

Time has blurred my memory but I would have seen Graham whilst serving on Sydney.

He too has been taken from us, so young.

RIP Graham.

_________________
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).

I served with Graham a couple of times, he was one of my boys and a really nice young bloke.

Rest in peace matey.

_________________

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.

Christ, this is a shock to me. We were together at Nirimba and joined the Sydney together in 71. Great bloke and dammed sorry to hear of his passing at only 58.

_________________
Brian Staples (Charlie)
R43533
Ex ERA2
23rd MOBI Intake
Jul 67 to 76
Nirimba, Sydney, Torrens, Paramatta, Kuttabul
Merchant- MV Howard Smith, MV SilverHawk
Vales Point Power Station, Eraring Power Station, Retired ill health.
Now???? Living it up in retirement.

I was so shocked to see that graham had passed away
We were in the same intake and were great mates.

He is the first chippy of our intake to cross the bar
the others who passed out from Nirimba are

Peter Bull
Max Kent
Gordon Cooper
Myself
Geoffry Palm

smooth sailing on an open sea mate
peter sneddon

_________________
Peter Sneddon
R95971
Ex CPOMTH4
18th JR Intake
23rd MOBI Intake
Jan 67 to July 91
Leeuwin, Nirimba, Sydney, Perth, FMP-W, Stuart, Penguin/Ships Divers course, Stuart, Lonsdale, Melbourne, Kuttabul, Cerberus, Stuart, Swan, Nirimba/ Q course, Cerberus, CPSO-M

I forgot to put him in the list and who can forget him
Paul Prince

_________________
Peter Sneddon
R95971
Ex CPOMTH4
18th JR Intake
23rd MOBI Intake
Jan 67 to July 91
Leeuwin, Nirimba, Sydney, Perth, FMP-W, Stuart, Penguin/Ships Divers course, Stuart, Lonsdale, Melbourne, Kuttabul, Cerberus, Stuart, Swan, Nirimba/ Q course, Cerberus, CPSO-M

Served with Graham early in my career and I would class him as one of the nicest and most professional Chippies I met. A couple of intakes ahead of me and he was a real role model.

Very, very sad to be taken as such an early age.

There come a time when life stops giving and starts taking

Unfortunately for all of us that is what is happening.

_________________
Stretch Bloomfield
ex-CPOMTH4
27th MOBI Intake
July 1969 - July 1994
Nirimba, Penguin, Hobart, Stalwart, Kuttabul, Coonawarra (Reconstruction Team 76), Derwent, Cerberus

12 months ago today that Graham crossed the bar
Gone but definitly not forgotten
RIP mate
peter sneddon

_________________
Peter Sneddon
R95971
Ex CPOMTH4
18th JR Intake
23rd MOBI Intake
Jan 67 to July 91
Leeuwin, Nirimba, Sydney, Perth, FMP-W, Stuart, Penguin/Ships Divers course, Stuart, Lonsdale, Melbourne, Kuttabul, Cerberus, Stuart, Swan, Nirimba/ Q course, Cerberus, CPSO-M

Another twelve months since Graham left this place.
Just a note to say he's not overlooked.
Cheers mate

_________________
Peter Sneddon
R95971
Ex CPOMTH4
18th JR Intake
23rd MOBI Intake
Jan 67 to July 91
Leeuwin, Nirimba, Sydney, Perth, FMP-W, Stuart, Penguin/Ships Divers course, Stuart, Lonsdale, Melbourne, Kuttabul, Cerberus, Stuart, Swan, Nirimba/ Q course, Cerberus, CPSO-M