A character through and through, Timothy ‘‘Ted’’ O’Keeffe is being remembered for his bright spirit and easy-going personality.
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Dubbed the ‘Mayor of Dookie’, community members have shown their support for the much loved local who died on January 7, aged 95.
Mr O’Keeffe was the adored husband of Carmel, a loving father and father-in-law to Wayne, Antoinette, Leanne and Brett, and a cherished grandfather to Nicholas, Matthew, Luke and Benita.
Born on November 4, 1923 to Dan and Alice O’Keeffe, he was the fourth of six children for the pair.
While official records state Mr O’Keeffe was born in Shepparton he insisted he arrived at the family’s homestead at Pine Lodge, from where he went on to attend Pine Lodge Primary School and Sacred Heart College.
From a young age Mr O’Keeffe was not fond of life on the farm, and after completing his studies in Shepparton he took a chance and moved to Melbourne to work on the railways aged just 15.
His family said his first lodging in Melbourne was at the home of a generous family friend who did not believe young men should waste their time on anything other than hard work.
‘‘Dad would often recall, with some sarcasm, how much he enjoyed staying there, the short conversations, lack of humour, absence of a social life and regular evening meals of wild rabbit,’’ they said.
During his time working on the railways, Mr O’Keeffe completed an accounting degree at Melbourne University.
Graduating in 1949 he went on to join the Mobil Oil company in Melbourne where he put his skills to good use in various roles.
In his eulogy his family said Mr O’Keeffe would often return to Shepparton to visit family and friends, meeting his soon-to-be wife, Carmel Woodhouse, on one of his visits.
‘‘Mum and Dad’s romance would eventually blossom but it didn’t start in the usual way,’’ they said.
‘‘Mum only agreed to meet with Dad after her sisters guaranteed a payment of two shillings for doing so ... so in some ways this became an arranged marriage.’’
In 1952 Mr O’Keeffe married Carmel and they went on to welcome two children into their family, Wayne and Leanne.
In 1961, Mr O’Keeffe was assigned to Mobil New York to study computer technology.
After completing his studies he returned to Melbourne to work in a team responsible for installing the first commercial computers in Australia.
‘‘I recall Dad telling stories of how he could fix software problems on the fly by directly changing the machine code in the live system,’’ his family wrote in his eulogy.
‘‘For anyone not familiar with computer technology that’s the same as changing a spark plug in an engine while it’s still running ... what could go wrong?’’
Mr O’Keeffe went on to spend time in India where he was the head of a computer installation team before being promoted to systems manager for Mobil Australia.
In 1975 he was promoted to accounting manager, a position he became highly regarded for until his retirement in 1980, after 31 years of service.
After retirement the O’Keeffes moved to Shepparton where they built a home on their small farm in Pine Lodge.
It was during these years on the farm that Mr O’Keeffe perfected his skills in growing lucerne, mending fences and the general daily tasks that come with life on a farming property.
In later years Mr O’Keeffe was blessed with four grandchildren, with his family admitting the children quickly became the lights of his life.
‘‘True to form, Dad performed his grandfatherly duties by teaching the young kids how to reach top speed on a ride-on mower and how to load and shoot an air rifle ... much to the concern of the rest of the family,’’ they said.
In his eulogy his children acknowledged his love for sport, something their dad often spoke highly about.
Mr O’Keeffe was known for being a gifted sportsman, spending many years dabbling in gymnastics, boxing, football and cricket before turning his skills towards golf which he remained a passionate supporter of all his life.
He was a member of Shepparton Golf Club for 30 years and a member of Goulburn Valley Veteran Golfers Association for 10.
His family said he took pride in telling the story of driving a perfect tee shot straight down the fairway on the ninth hole of his regular Thursday group game.
‘‘At the same time an unlucky magpie flew across the fairway and was struck by the ball so hard it fell motionless to the ground ... dad hated injuring animals and while he felt pity for the poor magpie he couldn’t help feeling some pride in being one of the few people to get a birdie on the ninth,’’ his family said.
While Mr O’Keeffe’s death has left a hole in the hearts of his family, they all agreed he would be remembered for his can-do attitude and positive outlook on life.
While his body had forced him to slow down in the past couple of years, his family said he never lost his outgoing spirit or cheeky disposition.
‘‘Known as a lad, rascal, legend and the Mayor of Dookie, he knew how to enjoy himself and his memory will live on for some time,’’ they said.