Ronald William Tabley was born prematurely in Sydney on 21st April 1925. He came into this world with no fingernails or eyebrows in an era when babies usually did not survive when born that early. His mother was also lucky to survive the birthing although she tragically died in her late thirties of pneumonia. Being a keen cricketer he often said that he had a 'good innings' by living to the ripe old age of 86. He has written his memoirs and told plenty of stories, so we have plenty of fond memories stored up in our hearts to celebrate his life. I want to highlight some of his accomplishments so we can appreciate that Ronald led a very full life. Some of the things I will tell you he only confided in those close to him but I believe these ideas will help us to appreciate him more. Most of those reading this will be family and friends who did not always feel like he was the hero that he was in wartimes. But life is not about uniforms and following orders so we have to do the best we have got with what we are given. Most our current generation in Australia did not grow up during a severe or great depression like our ancestors or get by without the adveancements we enjoy in technology or industry of today. We have to believe the best in people and as a father Ronald did not give me everything that I needed in life to be successful but he tried to point me in the right direction. I believe he made his peace (or wanted to make peace) with God and all the people he could before his passing. Likewise, we can easily forgive and overlook other's shortcomings and remember their good points. Ronald lived a distinguished academic life because he loved learning. He won a scholarship at 15 years old when at Randwick Boys High, where his father was educated. He attended the prestigious Sydney Boys High in Years 10 and 11. He enjoyed academics and sports, however, he sacrificed his own interests and nominations to represent the school in sports and as a prefect to financially support his mother and grandmother to work as a public servant in the Department of Agricultureat Circular Quay before going to war in 1943. It is heroic that Ron gave up his own ambition and potential glory to be a good son and citizen of Australia to fight in the war as his own father did. He lived out the saying that our freedom is not free. Others before us like Ronald have paid a price for our freedom. He was told at an early age that his father Laurie was a drunk and 'no good' as those were the days of Prohibition. As a result, Ronald did not meet his father until he was in his twenties. In fact, his father was not a 'drunk' but was running a successful printing business in Sydney City after returning from World War Two as one of the 'Rats of Tobruk' who famously resisted the German onslaught in Egypt. My grandfather, being a war veteran, passed away in my early childhood after spending time in a convalescent home in Randwick where our Aunty Marjory worked. Laurie and Ronald built good family and community relationships. They built up honour and respect for the family name that originally came from Chester in England. With that honour comes the generational blessings of happiness and prosperity that we enjoy now. Here are some of the other highlights of his life: During the war, Ronald worked in the secret service with the Americans and Allies in the Pacific. His secret intelligence unit reported directly to General Macarthur who was in charge of the war effort against the Japanese Imperialists in the Pacific Region. Ron and a few other Australians were the only intelligence unit attached to the American Fifth air division and their wireless operators intercepted messages about the whereabouts and assassination of General Yamamoto during a flight from Papua New Guinea to Japan. Yamomoto was the commander of Japanese forces and was infamously responsible for ordering attacks on Pearl Harbour, Darwin, Sydney and other Australian targets. The intelligences of Ron's unit is said to have shortened the war in our region by years and our country owes them respect and honour for our freedom and even lives. He returned from the War to do an economics degree and make a career in business. He also met my mother Patricia, a Myer model while in Melbourne at a university function, and decided he would marry her. It was 'love at first sight'. Together they had Stephen, Pamela, Nicholas, Jeffrey and Joanna. In the 50s and 60's the Tabley family ventures included having a corner shop in Sydney and running a cleaning business while studying Economics. They travelled extensively, living in Papua New Guinea with their young family where Nicholas was born. Travel continued throughout the East Coast of Australia and onto South East Asia where Ron launched a career as a management consultant. Post World War Australia was booming economically but for a young Catholic family finding their feet, life was challenging so Ronald and Patricia split. They had a long, bitter divorce, partly due to the 'at fault' clause in marriage law and church. Ronald based himself in Singapore and Malaysia where he undertook various management consultancy jobs for big companies and multinationals booming in the growing Asian markets. While in Singapore during the mid 70's, he met his second wife Misa and raised Rizal before returning to Australia in 1980. After trying for years, they happily had a daughter Yasmin on 8th of August 1988 (nice date that isn't it!) This is also the date of the Australian Bicentenary of the First Fleet. Ron continued working until 2002 when he retired at 77 years old. He has left a legacy of 7 children and many grandchildren. I write this on behalf of his wife Misa and his children Stephen, Pamela, Nicholas, Joanna, Rizal and Yasmin who are his immediate surviving family.