By MARG STORK
OBITUARY
Robert William (Bob) Crichton
Born: December 9, 1928
Died: May 24, 2012
FROM a newspaper delivery boy during the war years to a stalwart in Dandenong, Bob Crichton led a full and rewarding life.
He spent most of his life in the town and his interests were many and varied. Among his community involvements, he was a member of the Buffalo Lodge in Dandenong, the ancient order of Foresters, and a foundation member of the Dandenong Workers Club.
Mr Crichton was born in Geelong to Bill and Mary Isobel (‘Mim’) Crichton. The family moved to Dandenong about 1930 and lived in a house at the corner of Hammond Road and Albert Street. The house is still there.
Young Bob attended the Dandenong East Primary School and later Dandenong West Primary School. The family moved to Potter Street and, after World War II, moved to Fifth Avenue, where they lived for about 30 years.
An enterprising youngster, he would get up at 4am to deliver papers for Ewart’s Newsagency and some of his ‘ports of call’ were the American Army camp at the corner of Gladstone Road and the Princes Highway and the Australian Army camp opposite the South Eastern Hospital.
Later, he earned the princely sum of two shillings and six pence when he worked on Saturdays for Ralph Clark, an agent in Noble Park for Slades soft drinks. He started at 8am and worked till 6pm, always coming home with two bottles of soft drink.
Three nights a week, he was a ‘lolly boy’ at the Boomerang Theatre in Thomas Street. From age 14 and until the late 1970s, he worked at the Dandenong Bacon Factory (Dandy Hams and Bacon).
Mr Crichton played baseball with the Presbyterian team for several years then transferred to the Dandenong A team. He had the honour of playing with his brothers John and Bill in premierships in 1954 and ’61.
He played with the Commercial cricket team when Noble Park’s Ernie Himbeck was captain.
Mr Crichton died late last month age 83 at a Noble Park aged-care centre. He is survived by his sister Beth, brothers John and Bill, and four nieces.
Reverend Alan Avery, a friend of Mr Crichton’s from the Dandenong West Primary School, officiated at his funeral service at Le Pines Dandenong funeral chapel.
After the service, relatives and friends shared refreshments at the Dandenong Workers Club.
