Henry Thomas STONE

Today we bury a great man – my father in law – Tom Stone – aged 94.
Tom’s passing for me marks the end of a remarkable generation of Australians.
Born in 1922, Tom – along with his five brothers & sisters – inherited the optimism, scars & traumas left over from WW1. Growing up through the Great Depression, you learnt how to make do & like so many who experienced that level of national suffering, the legacy of loyalty, appreciation, hard work & thriftiness stayed with him till the very end.
A celebrated athlete & Rugby Union player, when WW2 began Tom enlisted and survived flying bombers as an Australian within the RAF. Occasionally he would speak of his adventures throughout North America, Europe & Asia when as a young man – the world was truly wide.
After the War he became a policeman where he rose to the senior rank of Inspector – 34 years of service – with not one day off.
He married the beautiful Barbara Fisher & together they had seven children – thankfully getting it right with their last one – Lizzy – who became my wife.
We moved in with Tom over the last two years & in hindsight – it has been such a blessing – & certainly never dull! Combine a loving, deaf, increasingly confused old man with three teenage granddaughters, a giant hyperactive destructive puppy & two stretched parents and I think you get the idea. Despite the chaos there was – & remains boundless love, rich laughter & most importantly – no regrets with how it all ends.
Thank you Tom Stone – for from your life you have greatly shaped mine – & for that I am eternally grateful!
Rest in Peace mate.
Luke

Note: I’ve included the music video of ‘Ragged Bloody Heroes’ for it features Tom reciting the Ode – alongside his old mates war veteran mates Hillary Kelly (RIP) & Bill Lindwall – still going strong at 95.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iUMZEFH6CFE