For more than ten years, the late Kevin McGlinn was a loyal patron of the Old Paradians’ monthly luncheons. Each second Wednesday of the month, Kevin dutifully boarded the Melbourne-bound train near his home in Longlea, just north of Bendigo, to break bread with old friends at the RACV City Club.

A member of Parade’s Matriculation Group 2 in 1961, Kevin completed his final year with the likes of William Booth, John Chiodo, Terry Hayes, James Main, Graham Mansfield, Desmond Mowat and Patrick Whitehouse, in the year that Len Breen officiated as the College’s Head Prefect.

Kevin was the oldest of three siblings, preceding Maureen and David, who also completed his schooling at the Old Bluestone Pile in 1964 and three years later served with the 1^st Field Squadron in Vietnam.

After a long battle with cancer, Kevin Patrick McGlinn died peacefully at his home on Sunday, August 30, 2020 at the age of 77.

The following tribute to Kevin was paid by his daughters Pip, Michaela and Edwina (with whom he was pictured not so long ago at the Axedale Hotel) at Kevin’s funeral at St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Axe Creek on September 7.

Kevin was born in Melbourne in 1943, during World War II. He went to primary school at St Anne’s East Kew, and then to Christian Brothers College, Parade East Melbourne. During his time at Parade, he was active in the cadets and played hockey and tennis. He was also actively involved in Scouts and reached Queen Scout level. In 1960, he was selected as the only Victorian representative to attend an International Scout Jamboree in Colorado Springs, USA.He travelled to the US by ship and was gone for six months. It was an amazing experience for him.

Following school, Kevin commenced studying for a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) at the University of Melbourne and graduated in 1968. One of his early projects after graduation was to design the landing lights at Tullamarine Airport. It was only two years ago that the lights he designed were decommissioned.

Kevin met Jude Anderson on the tennis court and soon married. They had three daughters, Philippa (Pip), Michaela and Edwina. A couple of years after Cyclone Tracey (1974), Kevin and the family moved to Darwin where Kevin worked on the rebuilding of the Stokes Hill Power Station (now the site of Darwin’s Convention Centre).

A large proportion of his young family’s life was spent in the Northern Territory and Queensland - weekends and holidays spent driving in a big red volvo with a purpose-built camping trailer – Darwin to Alice, across to the Kimberleys (WA), Tennant Creek Races, dawn at Fog Dam, sleeping alongside the crocodiles at East Alligator River, flying over to Bathurst Island, floating on lilos down Katherine Gorge, and late night swims in the hot springs of Mataranka.Kevin was a capable and confident bushman. He would never let a few crocs interfere with a good camping site.He certainly created some wonderful memories for his children.

For a somewhat quiet person, Kevin was happy when in the company of friends.The Hash House Harriers was Kevin’s second family and provided him with life-long friends and fun.He started running with them in Darwin and continued running or walking every Monday night for the next 40 years, until earlier this year – amassing over 1800 runs with the club. He also ran over 25 marathons (including the London Marathon) and numerous triathlons (including Noosa Triathlon).

Kevin relocated to Melbourne in 1990, living in Glen Iris and working extensively across regional Victoria for Gutteridge Haskins & Davey, now known as GHD (an engineering firm). Around this time, he met Sue Rich, his partner of the past 21 years with whom he is pictured below. He worked as a Project Manager on numerous large regional projects. It was on one of these work trips, where he pulled into a pub for a counter meal and saw an ad in the Bendigo Weekly for a farm for sale in Longlea (just outside Bendigo) – which he subsequently purchased. His focus slowly transitioned from professional work (having worked 31 years for GHD) to life on the farm. There Kevin began rearing Angus beef for sale at market and making his own Shiraz wine.

Kevin’s last 10 years have mainly comprised project management around the farm, bottling his annual Shiraz vintage and bonding with his and Sue’s children, grandchildren and friends at his Bendigo property. Since retirement, he has also enjoyed regular visits to Melbourne for the Paradian ‘Old Boy’ luncheons.

Kevin has been battling cancer for a number of years.He has done so with strength and dignity - nonetheless, it has been a hard road – and all are deeply grateful to Sue for her care and support.

His daughters remember their Dad as a loving and incredibly generous man, non-judgemental, fun and fair. A brave man who backed himself to carve out a successful career, had a strong sense of health and well-being, and a father who did not impose his views on them, but rather, guided them gently to develop their own sense of confidence, of leadership and integrity.

A life well lived. Rest in peace, Kevin.