This is a listing of notifications the Parramatta Marist Old Boys Union has received of the passing of Old Boys. “Vale” is latin for farewell and “Fortior Ito” means go forward with strength.
Click on the Old Boy’s Name for further details and a brief biography.
If we do not have the date of passing then the last day of the known month or year is used.
Please use the comments section at the bottom of the page or the contact form on this website to provide further details.
You can search surnames alphabetically. Click Clear Search on the right-hand side to return to the complete list
The tables immediately below are sorted by Class Year and Year of Passing respectively.
Sorted by Class Year, latest to earliest
Sorted by year of passing, latest to earliest.
Ben Morris, 1961/62
School Captain 1961
Biographical Info
VALE Ben Morris (Class of 1961/2). The Old Boys Union extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends and classmates of Ben Morris. Classmate and School Captain for 1961, Alf Smith, wrote the following to the Old Boys Union: “After school, Ben attended RMC Duntroon where he graduated as First Lieutenant followed by a stint in Viet Nam as Platoon leader. It is there that Ben was confronted with the horrors of war which, as with many others, had a resounding effect on his mental attitude. He married had 6 children while continually suffering from the traumas of the war. Ben progressed through the ranks to Major and continued with his studies achieving his masters degree. He remarried happily and he with his wife Jennie became involved in the lecture circuit and additional studies.
They recently moved to Bendigo to undertake another university course and it is here that Ben contracted pneumonia in both lungs and after a very short time passed away. At his own request he had a private funeral. Ben will be missed by many as a loyal, caring friend who said what he thought sometimes to his own detriment. Those close to Ben understood his outlook and his passing will leave a huge gap in their memories that of a true friend”. Thank you Alf. Ben, may you go forth with strength into the next life. Fortior Ito
Chris was a good friend when I attended parramatta Marist. I used to run into him around the courts, he never seemed to change always a gentleman.
I’ve got Vale John Cassidy’s picture but how do I email it to you ????
Frank O’Sullivan
Vale John Cassidy LC 1962 Died 28th August 2019
John Cassidy and I worked on a religious organisation in our days at Marist Brothers Parramatta. It was to spread the message of Our Lady of Fatima that is, world peace through prayer, the Blue Army. It was a very strange coincidence that it was one of Cardinal Gilroy’s pet projects, but we didn’t know that at the time. The cardinal had set the organisation up in Sydney under Professor F G Coleman Sydney University and Father Cameron head of the Augustinian order in Sydney.
From 1959 – 1962 I did latin classes at St Mary’s Cathedral, late on Friday afternoon in preparation to enter, my studies for the priesthood. I ran into Cardinal Gilroy on many occasions as he did confessions 5pm to 6pm and I trapped him either going/coming in the presbytery grounds. So the long and short of it all is, that I dragged our John C along with me to say Hi and explain the difficulties we were having with Monsignor McGovern in conducting our Blue Army prayer meetings in St Pats at Parramatta. He smiled at us both & said would we from time to time give him a progress report on our work with the Blue Army. John and I had a few brief encounters with the cardinal & strangely we never had any further problems with the cranky old monsignor.
John Cassidy was a very humble man and would never have repeated this story but having been befriended by a cardinal, lived in a village named after the cardinal and being buried from the chapel on Friday 6th September 2019 that bears the cardinal’s name, I felt it appropriate to tell the story.
Frank O’Sullivan