Peter Josef aaaaaaaa
31st May 1930 –
8th July 2005.
Peter was born in Neuss in what was then West Germany. He was the youngest of 6 children for Martin Leonhard aaaaa and Maria Therese aaaa. His siblings were: Leo, Maria, Gretchen, Jakob and Willy of which only his sisters Maria and Gretchen have survived him.
His childhood was at a time of great world turmoil. The depression was followed by the horrors of war. Peter experienced the loss of his favourite brother Willy. He mourned with his sister Maria the loss of her husband and child. His father though originally a watchmaker had to labour hard at an oil mill to provide for his large family. Food was not a major problem thanks to the great ingenuity of his mother and the industry of the family as they raised livestock and grew all their fruit and vegetables.
Although he was very bright at school, his parents were not keen on Peter pursuing an academic education and career. Instead they insisted he join his brother as a tradesman and he learned the trade of cabinet maker. He finished his apprenticeship but was not happy working as a cabinet maker. So he left and spent several years driving Trams.
At the same time Peter pursued his love of music. Together with a few friends he formed a band and they composed lyrics and melodies for many a carnival comedy session. Peter taught himself to play one instrument after the other. Starting with the guitar, he learned the clarinet, the double bass, accordion, the drums, the keyboard, the flute. He joined the tramways band and regularly played the clarinet at Sunday concerts.
At 19 Peter married his sweetheart Hetty. They grew up in the same village and attended the same school – were even class mates. Peter enjoyed being part of a big family and had a strong desire to have a large family of his own. Their first daughter, Inge was born a year later and followed by Helga, Gerd, Robert, Susan and Peter. There is a 20 year age gap between Inge and Peter. Peter has the following to say about his Dad:
“My Dad, was in every sense of the word, a truly remarkable man. Unfortunately for me, I only knew him for less than half of his life. Like all of us, Dad was a person of contradictions. He was brilliant but he was flawed. He had a great intellect, yet he could be foolish. What separated my father from the common man however was the intensity and range of his talents and expression. He was an artist, a builder, a musician and a scientist. I grew up seeing that there was nothing that my father couldn't do and couldn't do extremely well.
Dad's gift to me was to show me that nothing was impossible. There was no subject or field that was outside of my range if I only persisted in it with the passion and dedication and sense of fun that he brought to every pursuit.
Until the end Dad, you showed an amazing courage and tenacity. You never completely lost your sense of humour or your cheeky grin. You never lost your dignity. I'm only sorry that it took your suffering to enable me to show you how much I loved you. I miss you already Dad. Thank you for making my life so special.”
It was Hettys suggestion that her husband apply for a job with the Duesseldorf Opera company. This was the the first step in Peter’s future career and the beginning of his great love affair with the theatre.
Helga has many fond memories of her Dad working in the theatre:
“When I was very small I thought my father was the most wonderful being. A song that we had on a record captured the feelings in my small heart. “Ich heirate Papi (I’m going to marry my daddy)” was exactly how I felt about my tall handsome father.
When I was a little older I realised how clever my father was. He could do anything! I loved to watch him at all the different and wonderful hobbies he had through the years. Through him I caught a glimpse of so many creative pursuits.
……
My fathers’ creativeness drew him to work in the world of theatre. Here he combined his manual talents in the carpentry area, a talent for making things and brilliance for technical engineering principles, with his natural creativity. He started as a set builder and ended up as technical director of the biggest theatre company in Australia. This career opened further doors in my development. Dad was devoted to his job and often-worked long hours including weekends. I’d accompany him and would be given small jobs to do to keep me busy. I can remember the production of War and Peace when I was in my early teens and soldiers made from ten pin bowling pegs. There were so many clever sets that he helped to put on stage over the years. I would look with awe at the miniature models created by the set designers that would sit in dad’s workshop knowing that his job was to turn them into full size stage fantasies. I loved the thrill of seeing the bits and pieces come together in production and then to go and watch the play where the set would come to life accompanied by clever lighting and beautiful costumes. Eventually dad was responsible for co- coordinating all of the technical aspects of the production including the lighting, the wardrobe, the wig department, the workshop and others I’ve forgotten.
His world was the world of theatre. …….
With the coming of the first desktop computers dad set himself to mastering this new world. First of all he learnt how a computer was built by building one himself and putting all the components together. Then he taught himself the basics of DOS and went on to teach himself how to program. He used his new skills to computerise his work environment and wrote programs for the theatre including a payroll system that was used there for many years. Eventually he mastered the art of music and graphics and went on to create the most wonderful children’s song book.
As a young adult I took this wonderful kaleidoscopes experience that was my youth for granted. I was surprised initially when other people couldn’t read music or didn’t know the fundamentals of photography. Nowadays, having brought up my own family, I know how precious those multiple and varied experiences that made up my childhood were. Thinking back over youth I wouldn’t change a moment of it.
Dad, I want you to know how large a man you are in my memories and how much I appreciate the wonderful opportunities you exposed me to. I love you dearly and I want you to know what a wonderful father you have been.
Early in 1961 Hetty saw an advertisment asking people to migrate to Australia. The ad showed a picture of the Sydney Opera House. She only got laughs when she first showed it to Peter and Inge. But a few weeks later, Peter agreed with Hetty to investigate relocating his family of 5 to Australia. They both felt their children would face a brighter future with more opportunities in this new country so far away. And in November 1961 Hetty, Peter, Inge, Helga and Gerd boarded the ship the Fairsea for the long voyage to the other side of the globe.
Peter never regretted the move to Australia. He quickly felt at home and after spending 4 years in Sydney was offered a job with the xxxxxx Theatre company as a set builder. Apart from a small interlude building houses, this is where he worked for the rest of his working life. There could not have been a job designed that would have suited his skills and personality better. Always eager to learn new things he managed to successfully combine hobbies with work. And all things he did – he taught himself. Gerd has this to say about his father:
“Dad was a man of many interests, many talents and many experiences. No one I know has ever involved themselves in as much or as deeply in many things.
He never dabbled but always immersed himself.
His only formal qualification was one of a cabinet maker. He was constantly studying and broadening his knowledge on many fronts.
There was nothing he couldn’t do. If he didn’t know how, he would buy a “Teach Yourself book” and study it thoroughly. He also studied by correspondence engineering, both civil and electronic. He learned languages. He taught himself everything there is to know about computers, including programming in four different languages, then taught himself how to play a keyboard so that he could record and compose music using midi on the PC. And like with everything else he didn’t just play one part, he wrote entire scores and played full orchestrations.
He also taught himself many visual arts, including ceramic mosaics; oil and water color painting, and then taught himself how to create 2d, 3d and animated works on the computer.
He taught himself all aspects of photography; this included the setting up of a lab to develop his own films and photos at home.
One of the life lessons he taught me, is that the word “can’t” does not exist, there is nothing you can not achieve.
We didn’t have many long conversations, when phoning home it was only ever a couple of words from dad, and rarely much in the way of questions from him. Sitting with him, even in the final days at hospital, there was very little spoken. But I never doubted that he loved and cared for me.
I am very proud of dad’s achievements, and grateful for what he has taught me.”
Peter obtained his dream of a large family. Three further children were born in Australia. The family became a closeknit migrant family. Peter and Hetty made sure that the children remembered their german roots. The highlight of each year became the traditional german christmas celebration and even to this day, no mater where they live, each family member tries their hardest to attend the family christmas party. The following words come from the next generation, Peter’s grandchildren.
Peter – Inge’s youngest son has this to say:
He taught me the one thing most important of all, the true nature and spirit of Christmas. In many ways Opa inspired me and made me want to emulate him. I respect him - unfortunately because of my affliction and circumstances I was not able to be as close to him as I wanted; but make no mistake; I loved Opa and still do.
Opa was a man of achievement and genius and I am thankful that he is my grandfather. I hope, it is my prayer, that his name be great on the earth, and I hope and it is my prayer to teach my children Christmas like he taught me. I hope and pray to be a man of achievement and intelligence like him, and of course, it is my God who does the works through us all.
Lastly, he was a man of determination and struggle. I remember him telling me of the time he wrestled to finish one of his tile pictures. He stayed in the room tormented and hard pressed, but, he fought his way through it and finished the piece, despite the pressures against him. He was that kind of a man. He saw things through, I suppose: because he was following his heart. And this, alone, is an inspiring quality to have.
Ben – Gerd’s youngest son:
I always remember christmas eve at Inge's house. Walking in and seeing Opa singing and playing his guitar. It is one of the things that I will always remember about Christmas and Opa.
Kathryn – Helga’s eldest daughter:
What words can describe how much you mean to us. Bryan, Charlotte and I admire your fighting spirit. Here are some of they important ways you have made a difference in my life:
• Your lovely pastels have inspired me to do many a drawings. Further, I always have encouraged my students to use them and have even on special occasions have allowed them to use them too.
• I fondly remember you having me stay while I was at University, inspiring me to make use of the computer and keyboard. I intend to teach Charlotte Piano or Keyboard as she seems to have a natural appeal to them.
• Going back in time, I cannot forgot my personal tours through the Melbourne Theatre Company, in particular seeing your clever black and white photographic work – perhaps a reason why I always enjoyed taking photos myself. I also enjoyed seeing your mini-sets, the props room and meeting the people who made and make all those magnificent costumes.
• Providing a means for such an enjoyable Christmas every year – a tradition that will always be passed down from generation to generation.
• You’ve given Bryan the opportunity to be a part of a family, an experience he never remembers having.
These are just a few of the ways you have contributed to me being who I am today. Thankyou for being such an inspiration.
Even after his retirement Peter continued to learn and pursue his many interests whilst his health allowed it. Then finally illness claimed him and robbed him of his abilities. The last couple of years of his life were devastating for him and those who loved him. He became less and less mobile and struggled even to breathe. Peter spent the last few months at the Austin hospital. Despite the serious nature of his illness, he never lost his optimism and until the end was confident that he would improve. Many times he came close to death but each time he surprised us all with the strength of his spirit and the determination to recover.
Dad, it was so hard for us to see you waste away. To see you robbed of all things that make life worth living. To see that wonderful inquisitive mind that challenged us to grow and experience life in all its facets, sometimes slip away. But when you saw our pain you simply smiled and said:
“don’t worry…I’ll be home soon”.
Dad, we love you and we miss you but we also look forward to the time when we will once again be together in a more perfect world where pain does not exist. I know that you are now enjoying that beautiful scene you told us about when you came back to us from one of your visits to the “pearly gates”. I know that you are painting with colours more beautiful than we can ever imagine.
Don’t worry Dad….we’ll all be home soon and then there will be many many festivals!
Inge .
