John Kerrins (SPC 1950-53, PY1954)

We were notified by family of the sad passing of Old Collegian John Kerrins (SPC 1950-53, PY1954) on 16 July 2023, aged 86 years.
John’s son Julian said his father was very proud of being a St Pat’s Old Boy.

“He would keep tabs on the goings on at the College through the Old Collegians magazine. In fact he has some annuals going back as far as 1948-1949 and he had also kept his football playing jumper all these years,” said Julian.

John was an excellent sportsman who represented the College in cricket, football and athletics, namely long and high jump. John was a fast bowler and opening batsman. He played full forward in football and had a tremendous leap and would regularly take ‘spekies’ over opponents.
John met his wife Marlene Anne Cody who attended Sacred Heart College, Ballarat through the YCW – Young Christian Workers. They married at St Mary’s Star of the Sea, West Melbourne in 1960.

They moved to Dandenong North where they had 10 children and would remain married for 58 years until Marlene passed away in 2018.

John worked for Australia Post in Finance for most of his career. He was directly involved in the Queen Street shootings in 1987 being shot at four times himself. He sadly lost eight colleagues that day.

John was a strong man of faith who was one of the few who actually returned to work the next day to console and help others through the tragedy.
John loved cricket, football and horse racing throughout his life. He coached the Australia Post Football team for 28 years in the Australian Postal Institute Football League winning five Premierships in this time.

John was an excellent race caller, who for many years, would perform a Phantom Call of the Melbourne Cup at various venues around Melbourne.

We extend our condolences to John’s family and extended family, including John’s sisters Shirley Baxter and Joan O’Beirne.

– Thank you to Julian Kerrins for his help in preparing this tribute.