Running our infrequent check of the Ryerson index of death notices last month we noted some recent (and not so recent) passings.
Each was a member of the VFLUA and included three life members: Ron Stait, Mick Flanagan and Noel Egan.
An outline of their careers and contributions are below
Harold Charles Shelley b. 1922 died 5 August 2013
Field umpire VFLUA 1957-58
26 VCFL matches
Aeneas Francis ‘Mick’ Flanagan b. 1922 d. 20 August 2013
Field umpire VFA 1951, VFL Reserve Grade 1952 VFLUA 1953-62
Life member 1963
175 VCFL matches
Clifford Donald Heard b. 1924 d. 26 December 2012
Field umpire VFL Reserve Grade 1954-55, VFLUA 1956-58
Advisor to social secretary Len Ireland
42 VCFL matches
Full obituary based on his pre-eminient role in Australian wine industry. The Age 11 January 2013 –
Noel Egan b. 1925 d. 1 July 2014
Field umpire VFA 1947-48, VFLUA 1949-64
Executive Committee 1957-58
Life member 1959
361 matches – 10 VFL (Her. No. 206), 29 VFL Second Eighteen, 322 VCFL (inc 33 VCFL grand finals)
Leslie Denis Tregonning b 1926 d. 30 June 2012
Field umpire VFLUA 1957
12 VCFL matches
Norman Ford Allen b. 1927 d. 25 October 2013
Field umpire VFL Reserve Grade 1950 (to July), VFLUA 1950-52
39 VCFL matches
Ronald Stait b. 1930 d. 6 October 2013
Field umpire Sunraysia FL 1946-55 (boundary-field) , VFL Reserve Grade (field) 1956-57, VFLUA 1958-68 (field)
Life member 1968
141 VCFL matches
Kevin John Lynch b. 1931 d. 25 February 2013
Field umpire VFLUA 1957-64
124 VCFL matches
Norman Andrew Baker b. 1936 d. 27 March 2013
Field umpire VFLUA 1962-63
25 VCFL matches
Graham Stanley Sharwood b. 1939 d. 14 October 2012
VFL Reserve Grade 1962 (boundary) 1963-66, 1967 (field),VFLUA 1967 Eastern Districts FL 1969-74, YCW FL 1986-86 (Goal), VFA 1987-88 (Goal), Footscray District FL 1989-90 (Goal).
16 VCFL (field)
John Francis Deery b. 1923 d. 22 January 2014
Boundary umpire VFL Reserve Grade 1944, VFLUA 1945-50
71 VFL matches, Her. No 279
Colin John Robinson b. 1943 d. 22 April 2013
VFL field umpire 1969-72
61 VCFL matches
George Frederick Kent b. 1918 d. 21 April 2010
Field umpire VFL Second Eighteen 1941, VFLUA 1942, 1944-50
7 VFL Second Eighteens matches, 52 VCFL matches