DONALD VINCENT HANLEY
BORN: Tuesday 23 February 1932 at 316 Elizabeth Street, North Hobart, Tasmania DIED: Sunday 10 December 2006 at Hobart AGED: 74 PARENTS FATHER: [Harold Vincent HANLEY] MOTHER: [Mildred Doris HILLS] PARTNER Donald married [June MCDONALD] Married at St Therese Catholic Church, Moonah, Tasmania on Saturday 4 October 1958 at Hobart CHILDREN [John Vincent HANLEY] (1959-) [Christopher Donald HANLEY] (1960-) |
Donald had a very active life, participating in rowing and rugby union as a young man, and later playing squash socially and badminton competitively. In later life Donald was an active competitor and social member of the Claremont Lawn Bowls Club.
His early working life consisted of working in apples sheds and driving apple trucks to Hobart from the Huon. He was said to be able to carry six crates of apples at a time, and being fairly short attracted the nick name of “mighty mouse”.
After working in the Huon he enlisted in the Army for some years. He worked as a truck driver and plant operator, first at Hobart and then sent to Maralinga to work on construction of the runway to allow aircraft to land there during the program of atomic testing.
Returning to Hobart and with his friend Herbert Quarrell, he met and married June McDonald. They had two children, both boys. Shortly after the birth of the youngest boy, Donald was transferred to Sydney with the Army. The family lived at Faulconbridge in the Blue Mountains to the west of Sydney. For reasons unknown, Donald left the Army and returned his family to Hobart, gaining work at the Risdon Prison as a warder. The family rented a house at nearby Risdonvale, at Sycamore Road.
The next move for the family was when Donald changed jobs again, working on the wharf at the Zinc Works. To be closer to work and get way from less than acceptable neighbours, the family moved to Main Road New Town.
Wanting to have a house of their own, and with support of June’s father (Albert Thomas McDonald), they bought a house at 67 Carlton Street. Albert provided a 1000 pound deposit of the 4000 pound purchase price. The house was directly behind Albert and Nellie at 8 Claude Street New Town, and there was a gate between the two houses. The family lived here for many years, and past the time where the children had left home. Donald had ended his work at the Zinc Works and was driving an armoured truck for Armaguard.
Spontaneously, Donald and June found a house for sale in Claremont that appealed to them. It was at 15 Keynsham Road on the Cadbury Estate. They bought the house for $98,000. June’s father was not happy as they were leaving the home he assisted them to buy. This was to become their retirement home.
Donald had a medical incident while working on his Armaguard truck at Devonport. He had a seizure – with no warning – and taken to the Latrobe hospital. Daonald’s eldest son, John, and June drove to him at the hospital and brought him home the next day. That was his last working day as he wasn’t permitted to drive after having had a seizure.
In retirement he became a regular cyclist, riding from Claremont to the city ad return on most days. He took up lawn bowls and enjoyed the competition and social lifestyle, He was also a part of the local Neighbourhood Watch.
In 2004 and after a long period of bowel problems, June convinced him to seek medical advice. The outcome was not good. He had bowel cancer and booked in for surgery to be performed by Dr. Hugh Jackson. The surgery was to be a resection by removing the diseased part of the bowel and joining the two ends. The operation did not go well. Within 24 hours of the surgery there had been a leak from the bowel into his abdomen resulting in septicaemia. Bravely Donald endured many operations and spent a significant period of time in intensive care and close to death. He was a brave fighter and endured nineteen operations in eighteen months before succumbing to the infection.
His early working life consisted of working in apples sheds and driving apple trucks to Hobart from the Huon. He was said to be able to carry six crates of apples at a time, and being fairly short attracted the nick name of “mighty mouse”.
After working in the Huon he enlisted in the Army for some years. He worked as a truck driver and plant operator, first at Hobart and then sent to Maralinga to work on construction of the runway to allow aircraft to land there during the program of atomic testing.
Returning to Hobart and with his friend Herbert Quarrell, he met and married June McDonald. They had two children, both boys. Shortly after the birth of the youngest boy, Donald was transferred to Sydney with the Army. The family lived at Faulconbridge in the Blue Mountains to the west of Sydney. For reasons unknown, Donald left the Army and returned his family to Hobart, gaining work at the Risdon Prison as a warder. The family rented a house at nearby Risdonvale, at Sycamore Road.
The next move for the family was when Donald changed jobs again, working on the wharf at the Zinc Works. To be closer to work and get way from less than acceptable neighbours, the family moved to Main Road New Town.
Wanting to have a house of their own, and with support of June’s father (Albert Thomas McDonald), they bought a house at 67 Carlton Street. Albert provided a 1000 pound deposit of the 4000 pound purchase price. The house was directly behind Albert and Nellie at 8 Claude Street New Town, and there was a gate between the two houses. The family lived here for many years, and past the time where the children had left home. Donald had ended his work at the Zinc Works and was driving an armoured truck for Armaguard.
Spontaneously, Donald and June found a house for sale in Claremont that appealed to them. It was at 15 Keynsham Road on the Cadbury Estate. They bought the house for $98,000. June’s father was not happy as they were leaving the home he assisted them to buy. This was to become their retirement home.
Donald had a medical incident while working on his Armaguard truck at Devonport. He had a seizure – with no warning – and taken to the Latrobe hospital. Daonald’s eldest son, John, and June drove to him at the hospital and brought him home the next day. That was his last working day as he wasn’t permitted to drive after having had a seizure.
In retirement he became a regular cyclist, riding from Claremont to the city ad return on most days. He took up lawn bowls and enjoyed the competition and social lifestyle, He was also a part of the local Neighbourhood Watch.
In 2004 and after a long period of bowel problems, June convinced him to seek medical advice. The outcome was not good. He had bowel cancer and booked in for surgery to be performed by Dr. Hugh Jackson. The surgery was to be a resection by removing the diseased part of the bowel and joining the two ends. The operation did not go well. Within 24 hours of the surgery there had been a leak from the bowel into his abdomen resulting in septicaemia. Bravely Donald endured many operations and spent a significant period of time in intensive care and close to death. He was a brave fighter and endured nineteen operations in eighteen months before succumbing to the infection.