Glodyen Therese Ross

A eulogy delivered by the family of Glodyen (Glo) Therese Ross at her service held on the 12th April 2023 at Ormiston House. 

A eulogy delivered by Andrew Ross, Glo's son

Glodyen Therese Paddon was born in Fremantle, WA, to Lillian Ruth Paddon & William Horace Paddon.  

Bill Paddon worked as a wine & spirits merchant during the week, and on weekends enjoyed all things outdoors - cricket, football (Australian Rules, of course), riding motorbikes & sailing. 'Glody' was the older of two girls. Bill or Willy Horace as Andrew likes to call him, with no son, shared his sporting enthusiasm with Glody. She developed a lifelong love of cricket, and was (quietly) obsessed with AFL. This obsession continued, through great-niece, Sian, and their joint support of the Brisbane Lions.  

Glody, and her special friend here today, Betty McGraa, shared something in common - they had both seen Donald Bradman play cricket - albeit on opposite sides of the country.  

Glody loved country life. At the tender age of ten, she could be found on horseback with only two dogs for company, rounding up a massive herd of sheep. She also had many happy memories of time spent on the family orchard, Glenarie, just outside Bridgetown, WA.  

During WWII, Bill Paddon, was away as a Navy skipper of a patrol boat in the Pacific Islands conflict (he only managed to sink two!!), and Glody, her mother Lillian (Lil) and baby sister Glennis (Glen) had been evacuated from their Fremantle home - which was at risk of enemy attack, and also needed to house military personnel.  

Glen and Glody remained extremely close during Glen's too-short life..  

In addition to watching sport, Glody enjoyed anything creative and was a very competent piano player, but in her eyes she was the consummate under-achiever. She was always self-effacing. Glodyen was dux of Presbyterian Ladies College (PLC), Fremantle, in 1949! In addition to academic achievement, she was also recognised for her contribution to the school community, and for being someone of outstanding character.  

When Glo was hospitalised in late 2022, Andrew called one of her many medical specialists to cancel an appointment. The receptionist expressed sadness at Glo's plight, and gushed as to how Glo was her favourite patient, and that she had 'never met anyone quite like her'. When pressed, she explained Glo's unwavering courtesy, graciousness, and impeccable presentation. Andrew responded, 'Well, she is of course a product of Presbyterian Ladies College 1940s!'. The receptionist laughed! 'Well, of course she is!'.  

In the early 1950s, the family sailed from Fremantle to Brisbane, for Willy Horace to take up a promotion with his employer. They settled in St Lucia, Glody attending teachers' college (now-QUT) and Glen attending Brisbane State High School. By this stage Glody was already a collector of friends. She would tell of trips with her (Brisbane) girlfriends to all sorts of places - including back to Western Australia with her new Queensland mates to see her WA friends, including her (to be life-long friend) the late Shirley McDonald.  

Due to a teacher shortage Glody's teaching career started early, and included two 'one teacher' schools in South-East Queensland. By far her favourite was Cannon Creek (just outside Boonah), where she was billeted with Alf & Milly Heit.  

Andrew spoke on the phone to Heits' daughter, Gladys, last Sunday, and their son Bob, on Monday night. Bob (aged 79) reported: At the age of 19, Cannon Creek was your mum's first teaching placement. I was one of her very first students, and she has always been my favourite teacher. She boarded with our family and even at home would only call me Robert - one of only two people who ever did that. Last time I saw Glo was at my mum's funeral - where she still called me Robert!

Glo's daughter Kylie reported: I drove Mum out to look at where the school used to be and Mum showed me where she boarded. We saw a lady in her garden and I pulled in to talk with her. The lady looked into the car and said, "Miss Paddon?" Mum had taught her. We went back there a while later for afternoon tea and the lady showed Mum all the photos from back in the day.

After Cannon Creek and then Cedar Vale schools it was off to Longreach - a long train journey. The deputy at the primary school was a Mr Ross (There was no informal use of first names). It seems that this was where 'Glody' became 'Glo' and, perhaps more importantly, where romance blossomed after Mr Ross asked Miss Paddon (12 years his junior) to accompany him in a piano duet. Mr Ross either didn't recognise the romance or, given their age difference, was possibly just not 'proper'. As a result, nothing further happened. The late Sheila Rees, whose family was living in Longreach at the time, told Lew a few home truths! Longreach as also where Glo & Lew both became life-long friends with (the late) Bernice McCabe.  

At Lew's funeral, Sheila described Glo & Lew's marriage the greatest love story she had ever witnessed, and not so many years ago, Glo, Andrew & Rosemary had the privilege of attending Sheila's 100th birthday celebration!

Glo was eventually transferred from Longreach to Mt Isa State School, where she became friends with Heather Smith (known as 'Feather' to Glo's children) - Heather was one of mum's bridesmaids. The romance continued, at a significant distance. - and despite the limitations of 1950's communications & transport.  

After Glo's first 12 months in Mt Isa, Harold & Sheila Rees were first to learn of the impending engagement, as Glo & Lew travelled from Mt Isa to Brisbane to meet with their respective parents (and, of course, seek Willy Horace's permission)! The long distance relationship continued, even though Lew insisted - given their age difference - that Glo have another 12 months to consider changing her mind!  

The change of mind never did happen, and Glo & Lew were married on 3 January 1959, at St Thomas the Apostle Anglican Church, Toowong.  

Times being what they were, marriage meant that Glo had to resign from teaching, and the newlyweds' first home was Chelmsford, where at the age of 39, Lew became a school principal. The stay in Chelmsford was only brief, with an appointment soon afterwards to Memerambi - down the road from Chelmsford, and just north of Kingaroy. It was also here that, due to the effects of Lew's service in World War II, Glo & Lew discovered they were unable to have children, and so they made application to adopt.  

Andrew was born in Toowoomba was welcomed to Memerambi shortly thereafter. Not long afterwards, Lew was transferred to Yuleba - where red-bellied black snakes were managed by a highly-protective black whippet, called Boots. Here also, began Andrew's obsession with cars, when each afternoon Lew walked Andrew past Cox's mechanical workshop and allowed him to play in the wrecks outside. Yuleba is also where Kylie was first introduced to the family.  

After three years in Yuleba, it was off to Herberton, where - given the rules of the day, a small miracle occurred - the approval for Glo & Lew to adopt their third child, Ian.  

Glo loved to tell that, after the family drove the 500 miles to Proserpine to collect Ian, Kylie enthusiastically asked, 'Can we keep him?'

Glo & Lew loved Herberton, and made some good friends there, including Thel Pedersen, whose family were tin miners at Irvinebank. It was also where Andrew started school. There was a visit from a helicopter that landed on the school oval in front of their home, major floods, and astronauts landing on the moon - or so it was relayed via fuzzy, grainy black & white TV images. There was also a change of snakes from red-bellied to brown. A kookaburra showed who's boss at the family back-door by repeatedly whacking the head of a snake against a chain wire fence.  

Thel Pedersen now lives in Atherton. In 2017, when Glo travelled with Rosemary & Andrew to see Morgen compete in dressage in Mareeba, Thel joined them on a magical mystery tour of the Atherton Tablelands. On the way home from that trip, Glo, Andrew & Rosemary spent time with Kylie in Townsville & Magnetic Island. They also met up with Father Rod where, to mum's delight, she was given a personal tour of Townsville's Anglican Cathedral. This was to be Glo's last long trip out of Brisbane.

In 1970,  the family moved to Boonah, living in the principal's residence within the grounds of the State School. This gave the kids a six-acre playground on weekends, an opportunity to play cops & robbers under the buildings, see how many frilled lizards could be collected in a wheelbarrow, gorging on fresh mulberries and, with the cousins, building treehouses of scrap timber and roofing iron in the back yard.  

During this period, Grandma Lil's health began failing. Glo, was a not-so-confident-but determined driver but made the trip to and from St Lucia on many occasions, supporting her ailing mother and her dad until Lil's passing in 1972.  

Lil was apparently just a little eccentric. For example, one day Lew was in the bath at St Lucia and Lil wanted something from the bathroom cupboard: 'You close your eyes Lew, and I won't look' has now enshrined in family folklore.

Memorable to Glo's children were the trips at night back home from St Lucia to Boonah, with all three lying, totally unrestrained, on a mattress in the back of the family station wagon. Somehow, everyone survived - both the road trips themselves, and the fighting in the back.

Whilst in Boonah, Glo completed her 'letters' in Speech and Drama, and the children were given opportunity to be taught music and Speech and Drama themselves - with trips after school to Ipswich for this purpose. The enticement was always a massive malted-milk upon arrival in Ipswich.  

Boonah was also where Kylie and then Ian started primary school, where Glo returned to teaching, and where Andrew started high school.  

One of Glo's students was Kylie in year 5. Glo not wanting to appear biased, treated her less favourably than the others in the class. According to Glo, this was corrected by a kind word from some concerned mothers. Many of the parents of her Boonah students Glo had taught, two decades earlier, at Cannon Creek. Glo loved reconnecting with those former students as adults and became quite good friends with a number of them.  

Then came Brisbane…  

Lew, aged 55, was appointed as principal of West End State School - mid-1970's, ultra multi-cultural - and with a young family from the bush. What a shock…to the whole family! The home Glo & Lew already owned in Sunnybank turned out to be far too small, and after five months the family moved to Kingston. It was a newish suburb accessed by a one-lane strip of bitumen from Logan Road, and almost no shops and very little other infrastructure. But the family home had a pool, and behind it was an acreage property owned by a family of professional jazz musicians. Glo insisted that once the pool was fenced (for modesty) she'd be in swimming. That never happened! Kylie & Ian attended Kingston State School; Andrew, Sunnybank State High and then Brisbane State High  (along with Kylie) - and Andrew developed a love of jazz.  

With the move to Kingston, Glo applied to be transferred from Junction Park State School to the (already quite large) Kingston State School, where she taught year 7. The brief was simple - take the lowest-performing year 6 class and get them ready for high school. And so it was that, for the balance of her professional teaching career (seven years at Kingston, then Rochedale & Beaudesert), Glo became a 'specialist' year 7 teacher.  

Imagine this - at her zenith, Glo was five foot tall in stockings. Many of her students were taller and physically more robust, but she soon had them obeying commands just like those sheep dogs many years before. and it seems just like those sheep dogs, her students absolutely loved her…  

One of the highlights of Kingston was the close friendships Glo & Lew formed with their neighbours - the Cunninghams & Grahams. The three families shared many happy times together: a mixture of Aussies and beautifully-multi-cultural new Australian immigrants. Similarly, close, long-term friendships were also forged with renowned Belgian artist Max Daniels & his wife Annie, Glo's teaching colleagues Greg Hall & Bernice Volk (and her husband George), and Windaroo Cottage Art Gallery proprietors, Anne & Jim Hart.  

Andrew has fond memories of time spent, especially during the Logan years, watching cricket on TV at St Lucia, with Glo & Willy Horace. They were both borderline-obsessive!

In Logan, any upwardly-mobile aspiration always trended east - across the Pacific Highway to be precise - and so after five years at Kingston a new family home was purchased, in Rochedale South. While living here Lew eventually retired. He hadn't wanted to when allowed at age 60, but a couple of years later he came home one day from Whites Hill State School and simply announced that he was ready. The Rochedale home was also where Willie Horace spent some of the final months of his life, being cared for by Glo & Lew, and also a young Bill Shannon, who had travelled from Sydney to help look after his grandfather.  

While at Rochedale State School, Glo taught with Olga Page and she, husband Ray & her sister Maisie Duncan also became Ross family friends.

Lew by then had enough of moving, but Glo was just getting started. She discovered a gorgeous home for sale in Beaudesert, on an almost-level level 1.25 acre allotment. Nicklin was a true Australian Colonial built in 1920 (the same year Lew was born), north-facing, with very high ceilings, five bedrooms, fireplaces in the lounge & kitchen, leadlight glass front doors, and 10-foot-wide verandahs on three sides. Just perfect for housing the (by then) extensive array of antique furniture, close to 100 original works of art, and beautiful ornaments and pottery - the result of 25 years assiduous collecting (not that that ever stopped).  

Glo, the animal lover took her late father's dog, Sammy, and cat, Rummy, with them. Ian completed high school in Beaudesert, and Lew was tasked with getting the entire garden in order. Meanwhile, Glo was immediately offered a position (teaching year 7) at the notoriously-hard-to-get-into (for teachers) Beaudesert State School, where she absolutely loved teaching.  

During their stay in Beaudesert, Glo & Lew established a close friendship, again with neighbours Minnie & Trevor Stroud-Watts, and Glo with teaching colleague, Jan Hopkins.  

For reasons we're unsure of, after Glo's retirement, she and Lew decided to move back to Brisbane, this time residing briefly in Thornlands, in a highset home with a view over Moreton Bay. However, after only a few months there, Lew had a major heart attack and needed open-heart surgery, and so the highset home, situated on a hill, was simply unviable. As a result, Glo & Lew needed to move to a lowset home, this time in Capalaba, where they became close friends with John & Yvonne Brayshaw.  

Once Lew's health stabilised (poor man, Glo had him on a very short dietary leash thereafter), the irrepressible Glo needed something else to do. Both Glo & Lew (as volunteers) taught adult literacy, something they both enjoyed immensely, and Glo also embarked on her broader volunteer career.  

Whilst we're unsure of the chronology, Glo also became a guide here at Ormiston House - which she enjoyed for over 30 years - the Queensland Art Gallery, Redland Art Gallery and the Commissariat Store (in Brisbane), and she also volunteered at the Donald Simpson Community Centre.  

While in Capalaba, Glo & Lew decided to downsize to a newly-built duplex in Wellington Point, but this turned out to be an over-reach and so they upsized again to a home in Hilliard Street, Ormiston. It was while living there that Glo & Lew started attending St Andrew's church, just down the road from here, the original chapel of Ormiston House and again, a place to form rich friendships and be of service. Their final move was to Cleveland Gardens, Ormiston, where Glo eventually lived for about 23 years.  

For Glo & Lew, life in the Redlands was bittersweet. They enjoyed their pastimes, including many day trips and short road trips - especially picnics with and visits to friends in South East Queensland - frequent attendance at theatrical performances, visits to art galleries, walks to King Island and building a range of wonderful new friendships. Equally enjoyable were trips to Melbourne & Sydney for the theatre and, of course, to visit art galleries.  

It's fair to say that many art galleries became aware of the potential for a sale when they saw all five foot of Glodyen making her entrance!  

During The Redland Years, the Ross family started to look somewhat different, with the 'blending' of first Kylie's, and then Andrew's maternal families into its lives. Glo, whilst encouraging, was at first apprehensive, but over time, as Kylie & Andrew started introducing their biological relatives and Glo found that she liked them - universally - life took on a new, positive dimension for Glo. Six weeks before her passing, Andrew had the privilege of introducing his birth mother, Lorraine, to Glo, and here today the family appreciates the presence of not only Kylie's birth mother, Pam, but also members of Andrew's & Kylie's biological families.  

However, during this period, there were also some significant personal challenges for Glo & Lew. Glo's beloved sister, Glen, had been unwell for many years, and eventually passed away on New Year's Day 1995. Glo was with Glen, in her home at Hervey Bay, when the end eventually came. Only three months before that, Ian had experienced a motorbike accident, also in Hervey Bay, that left him with permanent injury…which needed extensive rehabilitation. In the immediate aftermath of Ian's accident, Glo, Lew & Andrew were trekking from one end of same ward in Maryborough Hospital to the other, alternately spending time with (then-unconscious) Ian and gradually-declining Glen.  

Glo & Lew were amazing in assisting Ian with his recovery - which took some years - working closely with the medical & allied health professionals, especially on Ian's mobility & speech. As Ian started to 're-emerge', Glo & Lew then turned their attention to their retirement 'future' - Glo (at age 67) realising that a time would come when Lew (at age 79) & she needed to be living in a retirement community. Again, at Glo's behest, a move was made, into their final home at Unit 109 Cleveland Gardens. Other than declining health - eventually - for each of them, and Lew's eventual passing, their lives at Cleveland Gardens were very special. Again, new friendships were formed - notably many of those friends are here today - and Glo continued with her many external interests. While Lew loved swimming in the indoor pool, there was still no way you could get Glo into the water - which is why a one-only photo of her, in swimming costume, has been included in today's slide show. Glo was also abundantly energetic, and so rather than take the car it was nothing for her to walk to the Cleveland shops and back, for whatever reason. As we're sure some of her friends would attest, it was next to- impossible to keep up with Glo when she was walking - even in her 80's it was close to a sprint…  

Lew passed away in 2011 and even though Glo never seemed to lose her energy, she did lose just some of her sparkle. Glo's support of Lew over his last five years or so, at home other than when he needed hospitalisation, was an inspiration to everyone, but it had taken a toll. Just as inspiring was Lew's determination that Glo should, where possible, maintain her interests and friendships - and in addition to her faith, and her church, it is these interests & friendships that really sustained her in the past 12 years.  

Glo lived independently - albeit with help, and a series of usually-brief hospitalisations - until 1 October 2022, when she had a fall at home. An astute physician at Redlands Hospital decided to further investigate a small ulcer on her toe, and it was this that led to the discovery of vascular disease - and with it a slow, devastating realisation that Glo would never be able to walk again! This was devastating for Glo - especially emotionally - as was the need for 24/7 high care. On the other side, during this time, the level of personal support for Glo has been immense - multiple family visits from North Queensland, Sydney, Melbourne & Perth, as well as continuous visitation by family, and many friends, from Brisbane and here in the Redlands.

And so we mourn a great loss, but we also celebrate a life well lived - Glo, Glody, Miss Paddon, Mrs Ross, Aunty Glo, Mum, Grandma - Glodyen!

A eulogy delivered by Bill Shannon, Glo's nephew

My mother Glennis was Glodyen's beloved younger sister. My mother was an avid and rapid reader who could polish off two or three doorstop-sized novels in an afternoon. She was also an extraordinarily talented musician who could conduct a full orchestra and choir and simultaneously sing any part to any musician who was lagging or lost. She had done her AMEB and Trinity College "letters" in music as a mid-teen.   Glodyen was so proud of Glennis and used to wax-on about her academic feats. Glodyen however did not need Glennis' reflected glory. She was also musical but her chief joy was words. She did her 8 grades and "letters" with Trinity College in Speech and Drama. This accomplishment is not now so universally known as it was in the 20th Century. According to the Trinity College website, through this training a person can:

- Develop skills in speaking and understanding text and communication by bringing text to life through performance

- Complete practical tasks including performing poetry, prose, extracts from plays and discuss the work with the examiner

- Integrate study from wider subjects such as English language, literature and history

- Be accredited to teach from Initial to Grade 8.

Glodyen loved words. Her beloved husband Lew loved words. For Lew it was the semantics, the shades and duplicities of meaning, the historical, technical and literary references which gave him satisfaction. For Lew, a completed cryptic crossword was repleteness itself. Glo mostly eschewed the cryptic although she revelled in Lew's cleverness. For Glo the magic of words was in their sound. She liked words to crack and snap like a croupier preparing and dealing a new deck of cards. Every word Glo spoke was precise. She was an accomplished mimic. Especially in telling stories of young children, her children, her nephews and her students.  

Nowadays, we accept all manner of influences, inflection, and dynamics in pronunciation of English but mid-last century, the proper way to speak, received pronunciation, the Queen's English was proscribed. Glodyen was a teacher who always had high expectation of her students, she expected them to speak, clearly, properly and politely at all times.We have now learnt, in the teaching profession, through extensive and rigorous statistical analysis, that students rise to meet the expectation and belief of their teachers.  

After teaching in several schools throughout Queensland from the Isa to the Atherton to the South-East hinterland, and managing classes from reception to leaving, Glo came to the apogee and concluding 20 years of teaching with Grade 7's. She loved her grade 7's long beyond retirement. Through her skill and passion Glo wanted each and every one of them to have a love of learning, a love of language and a sense of themselves having opportunities and responsibilities in society. Few could resist her magic, and generations continued to remember her, recognise her, write to her and remain in contact for decades, even up to their own deaths. Glo sometimes grieved that she had outlived so many people that she had cherished.  

If Glo was sitting in front of me now, she would expect that I would tell the stories of her meeting Lew, of their verbal contract to wait before marriage so that Lew would not be using undue influence or the heat of the moment to rush a much younger woman into a regrettable contract. Glo was loyal and determined that Lew would be her man. She would want me to acknowledge that while they could not have children of their own, they had love to share and were excited and privileged to welcome first Andrew, then Kylie, then Ian into their lives. Their familial love was to be further extended when their children felt that the time had come to know their birth parents.  

So as Glo's nephews, my sister Jocelyn, my brothers Davey and Kerwin and I, were always made to feel that we belonged in her family and that the cousins belonged in ours. Actually, we depended on them in ways that should be acknowledged. My father had suffered rheumatic fever as a child which left him with a weakened heart. He had to endure several heart operations, a stoke at the age of 42, and some related bouts of depression. Likely as not we would find ourselves at the Ross household while mum attended to whatever was necessary for dad. And we suffered too from Glo's high expectations, surprising our parents when we were returned, coming home not only sitting up straight at the dinner table, but eating all our vegetables and asking politely to leave the table in the Queen's English. At times when Dad was in recovery, his business and our income suffered, and Glo and Lew sold painting and other assets to support us with tens of thousands of dollars, when tens of thousands would buy an adequate house.  

Glo would like me to reaffirm that Lew was the love of her life and that he completed her for the years that she would count off after his passing. It would take an honour board worthy of the Canberra War Memorial to recount the others who were special and loyal friends over decades of her life. I think it fair to acknowledge another great love that Glo had; for her neighbour Betty. In her Freeth St. home, Betty, her neighbour would share shopping and excursions, crosswords and puzzles with Glo. She is wordly wise but also worldly wise and provided a sanguine and balanced perspective on life, especially in days when Glo's eyes and health and hopes were fading. They cherished each other and their separation in final days was wrenching.  

I have to mention - Art - objects - paintings, sculpture, glassware, porcelain and furniture. Glo and Lew more than shared an interest. They communed with each other through artefacts. They would find works in a gallery or other space and agonise how they could possibly afford to buy that perfect piece. One of my great educations in art appreciation was through spending time reflecting on what exactly Lew and Glo saw in particular works. And I must say, the longer I thought, the more I came to realise that Glo and Lew had exquisite discernment. I have been fortunate to have been gifted some pieces, and I never tire of the questions they ask of my perception of art and of life. In building their extensive collection, Glo and Lew forewent holidays, dining out and other entertainments so that they could possess, (We are only caretakers - Glo would say) these works. The purchase was also to show appreciation and gratitude to the artists for what they had shared. My fantasy is that some benefactor will at some stage at least mount an exhibition of their collection.  

As relatives living in a different town, we could only know Glo by snippets of our interactions. I am wary of being in any way reductive of a complex person. I would just like to point up one other quality of Glo's. She was loyal. Andrew has prepared a chronology of her life and you will realise as I read it that she attracted love and loyalty. Many people from long ago are here or have contributed to this event.  

Glo was loyal. There was never any other team that mattered other than the one she supported, Queensland in cricket or rugby league. The Broncos, the Brisbane Bears then Lions in AFL. Australia in cricket and doesn't matter what else. At a personal level, if you were her people, her friend, her family, her hero, she was unable to hear any words to the detriment. This was sometimes a weakness where she sometimes failed to notice character deficiencies at important times. But in other ways, these high expectations were transformative for others. People (clearly myself included) never wanted to be anything less than Glo believed them to be.  

I have not mentioned her cooking or hospitality. Glodyen would bully you with entreaties to take just one more sausage roll, cake or biscuit. We hope that if you are able to stay for a little hospitality today, that you will not be strangers to each other. Glo cherished her new friends as much as those from long ago. We hope that you will turn to the person nearest you, introduce yourself and share how and where you knew Glo.  

Everyone will know Glo a little differently so to outline her story, I will read the chronology prepared by Andrew, interspersed as it is with stories of people on whom Glo made an indelible impression.