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.
Ron Howe, 1965
Biographical Info
Vale – Ron Howe – Class of 1965
The Old Boys Union would like to extend its condolences to the family, friends and classmates of Ron Howe.
Ron passed away on 4 April 2021 at Nepean Hospital, after a long and very courageous battle with cancer. He was surrounded by family. A large Funeral was held at Penrith and it was attended by a number of Old Boys.
Ron was born in Westmead and spent all of his early life there, going to early primary school in Westmead, before moving on to year four at Parramatta Marist. Ron was an excellent scholar, who went on to complete a Commerce/Accounting degree at the University of Western Sydney. He spent his working career as an Accountant, with a number of Public and Private Companies.
In 1970 Ron married local Westmead girl Antoinette Wardle (whom he had known since primary school) and they went on to raise three boys. A few years after they married, they purchased a house at South Penrith, where they have lived ever since. Ron and Antoinette have five dearly loved grandchildren, who Ron cherished.
Ron was a regular attendee at Old Boys Reunions over many years, amongst a group of around twelve 1965 classmates, who have remained good friends since their school days. Despite his move to Penrith many years ago, Ron remained a staunch Parramatta Eels supporter and it was fitting that his coffin was draped with a Parramatta Eels scarf.
John Flynn (Class of 1965)
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