Fifth Dooley brother celebrates 90th birthday

December 3, 2024

Family members gathered recently at Hilary Park in Woodford, Victoria, to celebrate the 90th birthday of William (Bill) Dooley (SPC 1949-1952, PY1953), pictured above.

Bill is the fifth Dooley brother to turn 90.  All five sons of Patrick Dooley (1879-1944) and Anne Byrne Dooley (1895-1983) of Glenburnie, Glendaruel have celebrated their 90th birthdays.

The youngest three: Geoffrey, Brian and William (Bill) were boarders at SPC between 1946-1952. All three were boarders together in 1949.

William (Bill) Dooley pictured in his Leaving Certificate Class in 1952.

William (Bill) Dooley was also a member of the Sodality of our Lady in his final year.

The eldest two sons, Patrick, who turned 90 in 2018, (and sadly passed away in September 2024, aged 96) and Thomas, who celebrated his 90th birthday in 2020 and now lives in Ballarat, worked the home farm with their mother after their father died in May 1944, when the boys were young teenagers.

Geoff Dooley, pictured in the second back row, first left; in his Intermediate class photograph in 1949.

Geoff, Bill and Brian pictured together in 2019.

Third son Geoffrey attended SPC between 1946-1949, during which time he rowed in the Champion Crew at The SPC Regatta in 1947, was president of the Young Farmers 1948-1949, and studied wool classing along with Shakespearian plays.

Geoff left St Pat’s to class wool at Dalgety’s Geelong and farmed at The Pines, Ballangeich on the land of his Dooley Irish grandparents and great grandparents, from 1961-2013.

Geoff married Maureen Thomas (dec 2015), had four children and celebrated his 90th birthday with a large gathering of family and friends at The Pines in February 2022. He now resides at Mercy Place, Warrnambool.

Geoff, pictured second from right, in a wool classing photograph, as published in the 1949 College Annual.

Geoff was a member of the Young Farmer’s Executive, as published in the 1949 College Annual. Geoff is pictured seated middle right.

Members of the Champion Crew at the SPC Regatta in 1947; Eugene O’Donohue (stroke), Dominic Pangrazio (3), Geoff Dooley (2), Kevin Tobin (bow) and Kevin Rowe (cox).

Brian boarded at SPC in 1948-49 winning the first division of the Under 16, 220-yard race at SPC in 1948, a considerable achievement remarked on in The College Chronicle. He left school and farmed at Glendaruel Park, Glendaruel, for over 60 years with his wife Joy (Norbury) and their 10 children. Brian celebrated his 90th birthday in May 2023 with wife Joy, children and grandchildren. Brian passed away in March 2024 and Joy also passed away in August 2024.

Brian Dooley, pictured in 1949, in Second Year class. Brian passed away earlier this year.

 

William (Bill) Dooley, Barry Podger, John Wangeman and Peter Hayes in their winning Second Tennis IV photograph, in 1952.

Fifth son Bill remembers St Pat’s fondly. “I just enjoyed being there … meeting all the others.”

Bill was a tennis enthusiast, reaching the singles final in 1952.  He married Lorraine Smith, and also brought up 10 children, initially farming at The Elms, Lawrence, then developing Connewarren Park, near Mortlake and he now lives on acreage at Woodford.  His sons Phillip and Peter attended SPC in the 1970s.

It is a remarkable achievement for five brothers to all attain their 90th birthdays.  We wish Thomas, Geoffrey and William (Bill) many happy returns.  The ‘invigorating and salubrious climate’ which was noted in The Chronicle of 1946 may indeed have served them well.

 

 – Thank you to Suzanne Dooley for sharing this story on her family and their SPC connections.