This is my Life - Bob Willis

Posted by Michael Knight

on Jun 03, 2014

Bob Willis is a local, born in Wagga Wagga in 1943, and resident here till aged 10. His father was a schoolteacher originally from Sydney, and Bob moved with the family to Grafton for six years, and then to Unanderra, in Wollongong, as his father became headmaster at a school. This was the start of almost 60 years of exile from Wagga Wagga, as he finished his school years, studied pharmacy at University, worked as a chemist for others, travelled including a sojourn in London, married, raised a family, lost his wife to breast cancer and continued as a pharmacist in Balgowlah for 35 years.

Bob remarried in 2006, to Cathy Hammill, a Coolamon girl who had lived and worked in Wagga, and had been married to Wagga Pharmacist Lindsay Hammill. They returned to Wagga Wagga when Bob retired, and David Pyke was on hand to introduce Bob to Rotary.

Bobs comic timing was very well demonstrated during his talk. He mentioned the tyranny of old age, using notes to deliver a talk about oneself. "I was born in 1943, and for all you former front rowers among you, that puts me in my 71st year."

He loved the inventiveness of the Golden Oldies rugby players, the team from Karaka called themselves the "fats".

Cathy heard Bob's speech as it was prepared, and offered........

"don't throw it out, it will be handy when i prepare your eulogy"

One recent discovery that Bob has made is that another young teacher at Unanderra in his fathers era was a young and hairy teacher called John Ferguson.