Tom Norwood

1. To all the family – how taken aback I was to hear of Tom’s passing.

   He was my head of department at Ballarat CAE and a kind and thoughtful man in this role. My early orienteering memories are of him suggesting we form a club, of the meetings that led to Eureka Orienteers and the choice of name (there was much doubt, that I did not share, that it was a good name!), of printing T shirts for the first international event (the silk screen had our country spelt “Austraila” we discovered!) and the wonderful, exhausting and exhilarating experience of mounting that event.

   My condolences to you all in your loss. Perhaps Tom is teaching navigation to the angels?

2. Tom, such fond memories from childhood, right through growing up. You were unique and an instant mentor for a budding engineer. Thanks for the wonderful memories! You are missed.

3. I don’t really remember how I met the Norwoods. I think Lesley might have been the librarian at my school. Perhaps I went I tried Orienteering in Canadian. But Phillip and I became friends and soon most Sunday’s Tom, Lesley, and Phillip would come and pick me up in the big blue and white Toyota Land Cruiser and we’d head off to the Wombat Forest or to the YouYangs or way over to the Yarra Valley, put on ludicrous looking nylon pyjamas and race around the bush trying to find red and white squares.
   I hadn’t really met people like Tom and Lesley before.
   They were outspoken, voluble, messy and hilarious. Tom laughed loudly, had a huge black beard, and seemed to tolerate behaviour from his children that was illegal in my home.
   I went to Easter O-rings with them, to interstate championships. They welcomed me in, and I loved them all. Chris and Glenda were what I should be when I grew up, Gillian was gorgeous and I was in love with her, Phillip was my best friend and the first place I lived in after home was a flat they owned in North Melbourne. I shared with pot smoking Steven and the robotic Don.
   Thank you Tom, Lesley and all the Norwood family. I lost touch with you and stopped spending Sundays looking for spurs and native cherry trees. But I remember you so well, and value so much all that I learnt in your home and on those trips where we hoisted the Eureka flag and proudly competed for cloth badges. It is of course a sad day, but he was such a good man who lead a good life that I’m sure there is little to regret. Love to you all.

Comments are closed.