Attended
Peter Maher's funeral in Blacktown on Friday and as expected, there was standing room only...
As
Kerry Kerr has so eloquently described the event, I'll use Kerry's e-mail to tell everyone about
Peter's send off...
G'day All,
Sorry for the delay in sending this email, we have only just returned home to Queensland, from attending Peter Maher's funeral.
A very sad day was brightened by the gathering of Peter's ship mate & cronies.
As was expected, a full house turned out to say good-by to our old mate, Peter.
I think Peter's family were humbled by the turn out, & were certainly grateful to hear the high esteem in which Peter was held, not just by HMAS BRISBANE Association, but by the wider Naval community, the VVAA, NAA, Volunteer Bush Fire brigade & many other groups that Peter was instrumental in their formation, such as www.pussersgreenies.org & www.navystokers.org.
Peter's daughter Amy, delivered the eulogy, it was fantastic, & it certainly didn't leave too many dry eyes in the chapel..
The Patron of our Association, Admiral Geoffrey Loosli CBE RAN (Retired) drove himself from Edgcliffe to Blacktown to attend Peter's funeral. I mentioned this so you would understand that our Patron is in good fettle, & age doesn't seem to be slowing him down (86 YO).
Our President, Captain Ralph Derbidge MBE RAN (Retired) delivered a stirling tribute from our Association, & you will find it attached to this email.
On a personal note, I will miss my daily chats with Peter, where we solved the major problems the world has found itself in, & I consider it an honour to be called "Young Kerry" by such a great bloke.
Rest easy Peter, your job is done.
Regards
Kerry Kerr
Here is the tribute by HMAS Brisbane President, Captain
Ralph Derbidge MBE RAN (Retired)
[color=darkblue]
A TRIBUTE TO THE LATE PETER MAHER AT HIS FUNERAL SERVICE AT BLACKTOWN, NSW ON 6 JULY 2012 BY
CAPTAIN RALPH T DERBIDGE MBE RAN (RETIRED) PRESIDENT OF THE HMAS BRISBANE ASSOCIATION
THIS IS NOT STRICTLY A MILITARY SERVICE, RATHER MORE A FAMILY OCCASION, BUT I WEAR THESE MEDALS TODAY IN DEFERENCE TO PETER BECAUSE THEY REFLECT MUCH OF WHAT HE STOOD FOR.
KAY, AMY, ANDREW, TONY AND SHARRONE AND, OF COURSE, ALL MEMBERS OF THE WIDER MAHER FAMILY:
I EXTEND TO YOU, ON BEHALF OF THOSE I REPRESENT, OUR MOST HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES FOR YOUR LOSS OF A HUSBAND, FATHER, GRANDFATHER, BROTHER AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, A TRULY GOOD MAN.
HE WAS OUR LOSS, TOO, FOR YOU SEE PETER MAHER HAD TWO CLOSE FAMILIES – HIS OWN (YOURS) AND THE MEMBERS OF THE HMAS BRISBANE ASSOCIATION. HE ALSO HAD SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTING FILIAL LINKS, SO TO SPEAK, WITH OTHER EX-SERVICE ORGANISATIONS, SUCH AS THE VIETNAM VETERANS FEDERATION AND THE PUSSERS GREENIES ONLINE BUT IT IS THE BRISBANE ASSOCIATION THAT IS MY BRIEF TO SPEAK ABOUT, AND HOW PETER EMBRACED IT AND NURTURED WE MEMBERS.
FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW, HMAS BRISBANE, AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS THE STEEL CAT, WAS A CHARLES F ADAMS CLASS GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYER (DDG-41) BUILT IN THE USA IN THE MID-1960S AND SHE WAS COMMISSIONED THERE BY PETER AND OTHERS.
AFTER THE SHIP ARRIVED IN AUSTRALIA, SHE WAS DEPLOYED TO THE VIETNAM WAR IN 1969, WITH PETER STILL AMONG THE CREW. THE SHIP COMPLETED A SECOND DEPLOYMENT TO VIETNAM IN 1971 THAT ENDED THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY’S COMBAT ROLE IN THAT BRUTAL WAR.
HMAS BRISBANE SERVED THE NATION ADMIRABLY FOR 34 YEARS, SAW ACTION AGAIN IN A SECOND CONFLICT, THE FIRST GULF WAR OF 1990, DECOMMISSIONED IN 2001 AND, SINCE 2005, RESTS AS A RENOWNED DIVE WRECK ATTRACTION OFF THE SUNSHINE COAST IN QUEENSLAND TO SEAWARD OF HER MOST IMPRESSIVE MEMORIAL MAST SITE.
THE HMAS BRISBANE ASSOCIATION WAS FORMED IN THE 1970’S AND, AS IS THE CASE WITH MOST SHIP ASSOCIATIONS, ITS FOUNDATION AND GROWTH STEMMED INITIALLY FROM THE VISION AND SUPPORT OF COMMISSIONING CREW MEMBERS AND THOSE WHO WENT TO WAR IN THE SHIP TO VIETNAM.
THE OFFICERS AND SAILORS OF THE STEEL CAT OF THAT ERA, 41 AND MORE YEARS AGO, MAKE UP THE MAJORITY OF THE 600 OR SO MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION TODAY. IN THAT CONTEXT, I RECOGNISE AMONG THE MOURNERS HERE PRESENT MANY OF THE SHIP’S PERSONNEL FROM THOSE TIMES, INCLUDING MY COMMANDING OFFICER FOR THE SECOND DEPLOYMENT TO VIETNAM, THE THEN CAPTAIN GEOFFREY LOOSLI CBE RAN, NOW REAR ADMIRAL (RETIRED) AND PATRON OF OUR ASSOCIATION. BLESS YOU, SIR, AND ALL OF PETER MAHER’S FELLOW SHIPMATES FOR ATTENDING TODAY.
PETER WAS THE HONORARY SECRETARY AND HONORARY TREASURER OF OUR ASSOCIATION FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS OR SO. HE WAS THE GEL AND INSPIRATION THAT BOUND US TOGETHER, EVEN WHILE HE FACED INCREASING AND CRUEL MEDICAL DISABILITIES. THANKS TO THE MARVELS OF THE I.T. AGE, WITH WHICH PETER WAS MOST CONVERSANT, HE WAS ABLE TO USE CYBERSPACE MOST EFFECTIVELY TO KEEP US INFORMED ABOUT ALL MANNER OF ISSUES, INCLUDING OUR OWN HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, WHEN HE, HIMSELF, OFTEN WAS UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE PHYSICALLY IN OUR ACTIVITIES. IT IS A RETROSPECTIVE COMFORT TO ME THAT I HAD LUNCH WITH PETER IN SYDNEY CITY JUST A FORTNIGHT AGO AND I WAS MOST APPRECIATIVE OF THE EFFORT THAT HE HAD MADE TO BE THERE. UNFORTUNATELY, MOBILITY WAS NOT HIS STRONG POINT THAT DAY, NOR IN RECENT YEARS.
I COULD WAX LYRICAL AND AT LENGTH ABOUT PETER’S DEVOTED AND INVALUABLE SERVICE TO OUR ASSOCIATION. BUT, IN THE INTERESTS OF TIME AND BREVITY, IT IS BEST THAT I JUST MENTION BY DOT POINTS, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER OR PRECEDENCE, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HE DID FOR US. HE:
• GATHERED US TOGETHER FOR OUR PARTICIPATION IN THE SHIP’S DECOMMISSIONING CEREMONY IN SYDNEY IN 2001.
• CO-ORDINATED THE ARRANGEMENTS NATIONALLY EACH YEAR FOR ANZAC DAY MARCHES AND REUNIONS, SOMETIMES COLLECTIVELY IN SYDNEY, MELBOURNE AND CANBERRA.
• WAS THE EDITOR AND PUBLISHER OF THE ONCE HARDCOPY AND, LATER, ELECTRONIC VERSIONS OF THE NEWSLETTER, THE BRISBANE BROADCAST.
• ASSISTED WITH THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE AUSTRALIAN VIETNAM FORCES WELCOME HOME PARADE AND NATIONAL REUNION IN SYDNEY IN 1987 – A VERY EMOTIONAL DAY.
• WAS INVOLVED WITH THE PLACEMENT AND DEDICATION OF ONE OF THE SHIP’S 5â€
_________________
Rick Pengilly
WEBMASTER
Ex-CPOMTH3
R42630
13th MOBI Intake
July'62 to July'74
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