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The Anglican Church in Tasmania Search |
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a healthy church...transformingLIFE |
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Vale ‘The Cressy Kid’ |
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John Robert Newton OAM, 1936-2004 On Tuesday, June 8, John Newton died suddenly from a heart attack at his daughter’s home in Cressy. We mourn the loss of a man who gave so much to our community, our state and our nation. Always cheerful, John was an inspiration to those who knew him and passionate in his advocacy of the rights of people with disabilities and in his service to the community. John Robert Newton was born on 19 September 1936 and left school at sixteen to go dairy farming. He damaged his back and was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis of which not much was known at the time except that it was a crippler rather than a killer. This forced him to leave dairy farming. John was hospitalised for about a year until he was 28. He walked into hospital and left on crutches. ServiceIn 1966 John began TADPAC industries (Tasmanian Association Disabled Persons Ability Centre) which he managed till 1993 when he left a printing and carpentry business with three presses, thirty employees and five staff. The list of John’s involvements with community groups would fill this page and it is small wonder that he was to receive an OAM for sustained and long-term work in advocating for the rights of people with disabilities and service to the community. John had not had it easy. He met Jean through his work with the TADP and married and found time to be a family, but Jean died suddenly in 1987. In 1996, John had his legs amputated and in 1997 his son Jonathon died. Then John moved to Cressy to stay with daughter Susan, her husband Peter and grandchildren Tim and Kristen. He was proud that he had returned to Cressy, where his forbears had run a shop and often referred to himself as ‘the Cressy Kid’. AbilityHe became active in the Anglican Church not only on Sundays but also at weekday services. In 2002, John was confirmed by Bishop John Harrower. He served on the Parish Council, as Parish Treasurer and Fair Co-ordinator and organised the highly successful Connorville Fair. John was chair of the Cressy-Campbell Town Chaplaincy Committee and had enrolled at the Cressy District High School as a VET student to take up the challenge of MYOB. John was a passionate St Kilda supporter and had booked his seat for the Port Adelaide-St Kilda match in February. He would wear his scarf to church each Sunday that they notched up a win. Although technically John was a person with a disability, we remember him as a person of ability.
Andrew Lang |
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