Thomas Joseph Makin (1928 – 2003) and Beverley Isla Whitehead.

 

 

Memories of Pop

From Colin Makin (Son)

 

My earliest memories of dad was simply a guy who turned up in June each year (his allotted holiday time from the Metropolitan Fire Brigade) and took my brother Robert and I out for the day. I don’t really remember where he took us. He picked us up in morning and dropped us home in afternoon.

We were living in Sydney (Green Valley) at the time and occasionally we would come to Queensland for a holiday. I remember Dad was living with May Beahan and her kids in Thomas Street, Clontarf    (I remember a big banana bunch hanging under the house that we could just help ourselves to) and later in flats at Hayes Inlet, Clontarf. As well as being in the fire brigade, dad also had a detergent supply business. In those days the work shifts with fire brigade was work 4 days, have 4 days off. Most fire fighters had second jobs on their 4 days off until the Board put an end to it.

When I was about 14 years old Mum and Robert had a big fight over something and Robert moved out of home. Mum said to me “You might as well go too”. Dad was down on holidays at the time so I did. I moved back to Queensland with dad.

We lived in a small flat at Hayes Inlet. I lived with dad from then till 1974 when Keri and I got married. I don’t really remember much about those times, dad went to work, I did whatever I wanted.

Dad was still living there in 1980 when Nick was born.
 
At some point dad moved from Hayes Inlet (I think it was over a dispute with the landlord about visitors staying there) to a unit at Woody Point.

In 1986 dad was forced to leave the Metropolitan Fire Brigade due to illness. He bought a house in Eleanor Street, Burpengary which was close to our house and he settled down to retirement and enjoying his grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Pop had been ill for many years. He had his oesophagus removed due to cancer, which at that time had been confined to oesophagus alone. He also had a lot of skin cancer removed from his forehead and face.

In January 2003 he was diagnosed to have Pancreatic Cancer. From that time he deteriorated quickly and died April 22, 2003. I was with him and held his hand as he passed peacefully.