Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

John, as he was generally known married Eva Dorothy Baldwin on 10th April 1943.  Together they had four children, Evelyn Dawn - born 5th Nov. 1943, Dorothy Kay - born 17th July 1947, Gloria Jean - born 31st December 1948 and Barry John born 5th July 1960.  John and Eva started their married life at Jervois in South Australia where John worked at the Jervois cheese factory.   They subsequently moved to the city in search of accommodation.  A housing block was purchased at 5 Wirra Wirra Ave., Enfield where Eva and John in a tent with their two young daughters whilst building a temporary two room brick home where they resided while their modest three bedroom 'war service' home was built.   Their third daughter was born soon after moving into the new home.  John had gained employment at Tecalemit as a machinist where he worked for many years while also working in a local wood yard and a service station in the evenings and on weekends to supplement his income.  A son Barry was born in 1960 and soon after the family moved to a home at Greenacres a short distance away.  Whilst at Greenacres John started working at a taxi driver and eventually purchased his own cab around 1967 and worked as an owner/operator for the next few years until his health force him to retire his business around 1980.  When he regained his health he returned to work at Tecalamit until he retired at the age of 67. By this time the girls had all married and Eva and John, together with their son Barry moved across town to a home at Parkholme where they were living when John died in 1997.

John was always a happy-go-lucky, cheerful person who lived first and foremost for his family.   He loved his sport and was a one eyed supporter of the Sturt football club.  He played football in his younger years and later enjoyed playing 'electric light cricket' in the Adelaide parklands.  One of his greatest joys and the most precious of memories his daughters hold is of their dad coaching their netball team.  In retirement, John and Eva became avid social golfers and spent many a happy weekend at the 'Glacier Rocks' golf club with their friends playing golf.   Fishing was another passion of John and Eva's and the girls remember many a weekend roughing it at Pt. Noarlunga while their mum and dad fished.  The country was always there too and many weekends were spent visiting their close friends from school and army days who now had a farm at Brinkly and later at Karoonda.   John was a great family man.  Never had much money, in that way life was always a struggle but he worked hard and left his family with nothing but happy memories.