johns wake will be held at mandurah offshore fishing club 1300 thursday 28th june all are welcome regards suzanne

Thanks Suzanne, we'll make sure the info is sent around the traps.

_________________

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!

Wedge always had many people terrified.
I think it was about 3rd or 4th term before us chippies in our term worked him out.
He was always a fierce person on the sporting field along with George Bewert, fierce but fair.

Sad to hear about him passing but by the sounds of it was swift which is some kind of blessing
regards to his Family
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

Vale Ian John Wray, a great bloke, big in stature and with a big heart, always smiling, a great mate on and off the rugby field.

Taken way too soon mate.

Your old mate Norm

_________________
Norm Noack
R43049
Ex-WOETW4
18th MOBI Intake
Jan 65 to Jan 86
HMAS Nirimba (4yrs), HMAS Hobart (5yrs), RANTAU (2yrs), HMAS Stalwart (2yrs), HMAS Perth (2yrs), HMAS Stirling (2yrs), Navy Office (3yrs), HMAS Stirling (1yr). Civilian Engineering and construction (24yrs), Pensioner since 2010.

Some people you expect to last forever, 'Wedge' was one of those...

Taken far too young, rest on your oars 'Big Fella', your journey's 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

I was shattered to read of the passing of Wedge.

He was the first person I met at the old Recruiting Office in York Street Sydney. Enjoyed a coffee and durry at the cafe across the street while waiting for the Nirimba bus.

Gone too soon, Wedge, old mate.

_________________
Bill Crowley
R43090
Ex-CPOATA
19th MOBI Intake
July 65 to Jul 85 and Full Time Reserve Aug 86
to Aug 93.
Nirimba, Albatross, Melbourne, Kuttabul and 851, 816 and 723 Squadrons

Very sad to hear of Wedge's passing. Served with him on Brisbane and always found him to be demure and unassuming.... ...okay, maybe I got him mixed up with some other Chippy...maybe Tug Wilson?...

It must be a Chippy thing....being big, loud and scary...Wedge was a real character, and a good shipmate.

RIP Wedge. Smooth seas and fair winds.

_________________
Robin (Bob) King
R105234
Ex-WOETS4
25th MOBI Intake
July 68 - June 88
Nirimba, Waratah (Dam Neck), Brisbane, Waratah (Mare Is & LBNSY), Harman (CDSC), Waratah (Mare Is), Brisbane, Harman (Navy Office & CDSC), Waratah (Dam Neck & Mare Is), Harman (CDSC)

Wisdom comes with age, sometimes age comes alone.

I'm off to Mandurah tomorrow to say farewell to an old shipmate and Friend John "Wedge" Wray

In the West newspaper
"A memorial Celebration for the late Jon Wray (Wedge) will be held at the Mandurah Offshore Fishing Club On Thursday 28/06/2012 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM All welcome please wear appropriate attire"

_________________
Viv MacLeod
R65148
Morran(March 66)
ME(D)-DENS-WOMTH4
1966 to 1986
Cerberus,Duchess,Waterhen,Hawk,Nirimba, Melbourne,Torrens,Perth, Leeuwin,Stalwart,Stirling,Kutabul

I received an e-mail tonight (from Paul Dolan) which has been circulatiing from Suzanne Wray...

Subject: Re John Wray

Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2012 12:27:24 +0000

Hi my name is Suzanne Wray and I happened to see that someone was looking for John... Was very sad to hear of Jamo's passing. Unfortuinately John passed away on the 17th of this month, he had a short battle with cancer after returning from working in Vietnam, his wake we hope will be next thursday week it will be in the West Australian and we would be very happy to have any of Johns comrades/ friends attend. John was cremated privately today as he requested. We have been married for 38 years and have two sons. After leaving the Navy John worked at Henderson operating the Shiplift then, from there we moved to Malaysia where he pieced together and operated the worlds largest Shiplift for a number of years. Then returning to Australia where he worked for Austal, then we did three and a half years in the USA in Alabama before once again returning to Australia. The last eighteen months or so we spent in Vietnam working for Strategic Marine. John was planning on retiring before illness struck...

Suzanne went on to supply her full contact details, which I have witheld from publishing on the site,
(for obvious reasons,) but if anybody wishes to contact Suzanne, please PM me..

_________________

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

Hi all, WO Wedgehead has been laid to rest and Viv McLeod, Alan Notta Hope and wife and myself and my wife were at the wake and represented Pussers and the MOBIs. Had a long chat with Suzanne, ex POWRCK whom John met at Penguin a long time ago.

A loss of a good man and good mate as fellow WOs at Stirling before we both paid off there about the same time.

RIP Wedge

_________________
Norm Noack
R43049
Ex-WOETW4
18th MOBI Intake
Jan 65 to Jan 86
HMAS Nirimba (4yrs), HMAS Hobart (5yrs), RANTAU (2yrs), HMAS Stalwart (2yrs), HMAS Perth (2yrs), HMAS Stirling (2yrs), Navy Office (3yrs), HMAS Stirling (1yr). Civilian Engineering and construction (24yrs), Pensioner since 2010.