John Deany (SPC 1949-53)

We pass on our sympathy to Old Collegian John Deany (SPC 1949-53) who sadly passed away on 28 June 2024, aged 88 years.

He was the loving husband of Pamela (dec) for 68 years and devoted father of Vincent, Michael, Susan, Matthew (dec), Louise, Lizzy and Sean. He was also a grandfather of nine and great-grandfather of three.

John’s funeral was held at St Peter Julian Catholic Church at Mooroolbark on 15 July.

In reflecting at his funeral, John’s family said he was blessed with a “wonderful and meaningful life”.

John was born at the Queen Victoria Hospital in Melbourne on 10 February 1936 and spent his early childhood in Brunswick.

During his eulogy, John’s son Sean shared that John had a close brush with death chasing a tennis ball across the street when he was 10 years old.

He was hit by a car and thrown across the road. Thankfully the driver took him immediately to St Vincent’s Hospital, where he made a good recovery and had several weeks off school.

At the time, he was with his best friend Russell Mogg (SPC 1947-51) who in terror ran back to present John’s mum with one of John’s shoes!

 

Following recommendation by Russell Mogg’s mother, John was sent to St Patrick’s College, where he became a boarder until completing his matriculation.

John attended SPC with around 360 other boarders from 1949-53. Starting at Year 9, he made lifelong friends with many, including fellow traveller Noel Moore (SPC 1947-51), travelling up on the train together from Spencer Street.

 

“St Pat’s, well known for its sporting credentials, was to propel Dad’s lifetime obsession with sport!,” his eulogy read.

“AFL football legend and later 1961 Brownlow Medal winner “Johnny” James, also a St Pat’s boy, became another lifelong friend.”

John made the SPC First XI cricket team in 1952 as an opening batsman and wicketkeeper, and captain in 1953, and he was noted in the 1951-52 College Annual as “an excellent wicket-keeper-batsman …a very efficient keeper, whose lightning stumpings were a feature of his work”.

However it seems it was in Australian Rules Football where his talent lay.

“Br Bill O’Malley, who spent 35 years teaching at St Pat’s, was the school’s football coach – and perhaps the driving force behind Dad’s aspirations to be a VFL football player.”

John was captain of the U15 SPC footy team and in 1952, was thrilled to receive his green, white and blue guernsey, making the First XVIII Football team, in both 1952 & 1953.

“St Pat’s were a team to be reckoned with – beating all the other rival teams. In 1953 St Pat’s won the premiership for the 49^th consecutive year!”

John was noted as a “very mobile ruckman” in the College Annual – “A beautiful high mark … whose clean handling of a wet ball was uncanny and who proved his versatility by excelling in many positions”.

John was a College Prefect, secured first class honours in Greek and Roman History and won the College prize for Ancient History. He was a Prefect of the Holy Name Society and a member of Our Lady’s Sodality.

John was also a talented sportsman, also in rowing, tennis, handball and boxing and many of John’s trophies are on permanent display at the College, after John donated them back to the College in recent years.

He was runner-up to his friend John James in the College Open Handball Championship, represented SPC in First Tennis IV, won the batting average and a cup for his play with First XVIII. He was Captain of Nunan House at SPC Sports.

His family also shared John’s passion for horseracing could be possibly traced back to St Patrick’s Day, 1950, when John and SPC mates were allowed to attend a Ballarat horse race at Miners Rest.

“Here he spotted a trainer Artie D’Alton, a known Brunswick resident, with his horse Goldmaker. John was asked if he would like to walk the horse to the barrier. While holding the reins, all the other boys asked him if the horse would win. Dad’s response was yes! They all left and put a shilling on it, leaving Dad with the reins. And it won – he was the most popular pupil at St Pat’s as everybody had made a killing!”

After leaving SPC, John moved back home and at the end of 1953 won a Commonwealth scholarship to attend Melbourne University to study pharmacy.

This involved working as an apprentice on very low wages, and when considering the needs for his parents support, he decided to quit after only four weeks.

Following in the footsteps of close SPC friend Kevin Opie (SPC 1949-52), John entered teachers college in 1954 at Glenbervie in Toorak. He was involved with the Brunswick YCW and naturally joined the college football team, playing with North Melbourne under 19s (thirds).

After graduation, John was required to do three months of National Service in the Australian Army at Puckapunyal. At the end of this stint, he was assigned to the Armoured Division as a wireless operator in a tank!

Not only did John enjoy a fruitful career as a state school teacher, but he met his future wife-to-be, marrying Pamela Smith in 1958, with his SPC mate Russell Mogg as his best man.

John taught at Talindert Primary School, near Camperdown in Victoria’s western district, before moving to Kilsyth, in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, which became their home, until John’s passing.

They welcomed seven children and John taught at East Ringwood Primary School, Heathmont Primary, Templestowe Primary and Kilsyth Primary, where he was school principal from 1980.

Upon his retirement in 1992, John commenced volunteer work at the Men’s Refuge in George Street Fitzroy and stayed for 16 years. He was the church cleaner for four years at St Richards in Kilsyth and a volunteer for St Vinnies in Croydon. His family remembered John’s philosophy was to “listen, talk, listen, but never preach”.