Obituary
Maureen Custerson
5 September 1933 – 26 May 2018
A devout, generous parishioner and brilliant musician, Maureen Custerson drank deep fom the ‘well of love’.
The much-loved mother, grandmother and aunt was farewelled at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Dandenong on 4 June.
Eighty-five years ago, Ms Custerson was born 11th of 12 children to the Martin family in Dandenong.
She is described as a kind-hearted, faithful person who welcomed different faiths. Full of life and spirit, she acted out of a genuine concern for others.
She and her late husband Des were a charitable power-couple for good.
Community stalwarts who gave much – not least shining a light for their five children Rosemary, Richard, Bernadette, Neil and Josephine.
And their 12 grandchildren – dubbed their ‘12 Apostles’.
They lived for 24 years at Sunset Grove, Dandenong followed by Browns Road, Devon Meadows.
In recent years she was known as a caring resident at a Kooweerup nursing home.
A maestro on the piano, she constantly entertained family, friends and the public.
She and her husband performed as the Chubbies Dance Band in the South East including Dandenong Workers Club for 48 years.
The couple kept performing until 2010, often playing for free at fundraisers.
Each of their children took the stage with them.
Ms Custerson believed in the power of prayer. Many years ago, her family was in desperate need of a new car.
Their parish held a major raffle, offering a car as the first-prize but the family couldn’t afford tickets.
The first stroke of fortune came from a benevolent businessman who offered five free tickets to deserving families. The Custersons were nominated for one of those tickets.
Ms Custerson plied prayers for her family to win the first-prize car.
To everyone’s awe, the car was famously won.
She worked at Osbourne’s deli in Dandenong, Safeway and the former Heinz factory in Dandenong South, as well as enjoying a long playing career with Dandenong West Netball Club.
At her funeral Mass, Father Michael Williamsen spoke for many. “She was so loved because she loved us so much.
“She gave so much of herself.”
On a tribute video, Ms Custerson was asked for her advice on how to live.
Her warm response was: “live a good life” and “be nice to all”.
That was her path.
