My beautiful maternal aunt and godmother, Joyce Adelaide Hooley, passed away on the 10th July 2021 at her nursing home in Warriewood, near Narrabeen, Sydney's northern beaches. ‘Auntie Joyce’ was 103 years old, just a month short of her 104th birthday. Her funeral was watched online, as Sydney was in Covid 'Delta' lockdown, with Melbourne to return to its fifth lockdown in two days. A funeral with no more than 10 mourners, in this case my cousin, her husband, their two daughters, spouses and children. 'Auntie Joyce' was my godmother and a quietly loving presence in my life for over 70 years. Had I lived in Sydney I know I would have found all sorts of reasons to drop by to spend time with her, however I visited her at least every two years, with my last visit in October 2019, not long before the continuing Covid pandemic disrupted our lives. I loved spending time with her - she seemed to accept me with 'unconditional positive regard', which I treasured. Born on 28 August 1917, Auntie Joyce was the third child of John Edward Devitt Jr and Lily Mabel Florence Hooper, who married in 1912. Her sister, my mother, Paula Alice Devitt, was 3 when Joyce was born. A baby brother, Gordon, was born in June 1916 but died in late July at 7 weeks, a ‘blue baby’ with a suspected hole in the heart. Eight years after Joyce’s birth, her brother, Lex Devitt was born. Both sets of grandparents lived fairly close by, with the Hoopers living in Carnegie and John Edward Devitt Sr and Elizabeth Miller living within walking distance of Testar Grove. Devitt grandchildren Paula and Joyce, and their cousin Marie Kirsch, described to me treasured childhood memories of Saturday lunch time gatherings with Dinky and Elizabeth. These photos from an old album appear to have taken place at such a gathering during 1918, when Joyce would have been perhaps 10 to 18 months old. In the first photo, Joyce's grandfather John Edward Devitt Sr, or 'Dinky', is holding her. 'The Shack', a holiday cottage at Newport, owned by my grandmother Lily Hooper's loved sister Ruby, and her American husband Alva Moses was part of the family's life for many years. Aunty Joyce and her husband Bill had lived there early in their marriage while their house was being built. This is confirmed in the electoral records. Aunty Joyce also spent time there as a child, evidenced by these wonderful photographs found in an old album of my grandmother's. I have memories of Aunty Rube and Uncle Alva visiting Aunty Joyce and Uncle Bill for Sunday lunch. A glamorous couple, even in older age, they always dressed well for the occasion. Childless, Aunty Rube had a special affection for Paula and Joyce when they were children, and remained close to Aunty Joyce and her family, who also lived in Sydney, throughout her life. Memories of Aunty Joyce’s ‘Devitt side’ family reputation as being 'good with her hands' are many – of watching as she made Bill's niece Frances's magical wedding veil during a childhood visit; of watching her knitting and creating clothes for her grandchildren. My mother, Paula, wrote this poem about her sister, Joyce - ‘Joy Devitt’ for hats… Kooyong Road, North Caulfield around 1939-1942 My sister Joyce is a milliner Her talents beyond dispute Her hats are quite fantastic All ages she can suit. She started in a workroom That’s where she learnt her trade Then opened her own business Her fortune to be made. Her hats were always special She really had a flare They were the latest fashion and Were easy styles to wear. She gave up many years ago Now only does a few May be just for the family, or when Melbourne Cup is due! Paula Lee nee Devitt, aged 97.5, October 2010 Like other members of ‘the Devitt’ family, Joyce worked in Flinders Lane, Melbourne, renowned for being the centre of ‘the Rag Trade’. Joyce learnt to become a milliner at Latiners’ in Flinders Lane, where her father, ‘Jack Devitt’ worked as a commercial traveller. Latiners was owned by Rupert Kirsch, brother-in-law of Joyce’s aunt, Victoria Kirsch, nee Devitt. ‘Auntie Vic’, a milliner, is also remembered as being creative and ‘good with her hands’. Before commencing her four-year apprenticeship at Latiners in 1931, Joyce attended Caulfield North School in Balaclava Road, in walking distance of Testar Grove. Another Devitt aunt, Lily Devitt, was a teacher there. “I started working in Latiners, I was only 14, you were allowed to leave school then. The job was created for me really - without Dad I wouldn’t have got that job. The women there were nearly all fully qualified milliners, as each firm could only employ so many juniors. We sat at long tables. The first table I sat at I was under the strict eyes of Miss Penny. She wasn’t a bit friendly, she just sat at the end of the table watching to make sure that people didn’t start chatting and not finish their work. I moved from that table to Miss Gilding’s table. I was much happier there. I remember Miss Penny coming up to Miss Gilding’s table to look at the hats. Picking up a hat I had made, she asked, “Who made this hat, Miss Gilding?”, and Miss Gilding said, “Miss Devitt”. Miss Penny just said ‘Oh’. She didn’t pass on any praise, but she liked it apparently! At that time the technology we used was simple– the felt hats had to be steamed and pressed into shape – we just did this over a tin kettle at Tasman House”. After Rupert Kirsch moved the firm into a new building in Brunswick, which proved difficult to get to from North Caulfield, Joyce left Latiners - “One of the travelers, Mr. Featherstone, recommended me to a Miss Webb who had a shop at Caulfield Junction and needed a milliner. I worked there for three or four years, at times being left in charge of the shop while Miss Webb went on holidays. I eventually decided I could do this work for myself and set up my own business. I worked all hours to make sure I had hats ready for clients for the Spring Racing Carnival’s 'Cup' Days... they all wanted new hats, or old hats retrimmed or renovated. Mum would give me a hand, I had so much work to do!” Joyce married soldier William John Hooley in Sydney in 1942. L to R: Maggie Hooley, Fred Murphy, Arthur Palmer, Thelma Bisset (nee Hooley), Bill Hooley, Joyce Devitt, Minnie Rose (Joyce's Aunt), Lily Devitt, Jack Bissett, Merva Palmer (nee Hooley) When Bill resumed active service, Jean returned to Melbourne with Bill’s 8 year old daughter Jean. Bill’s first wife, Vera Hooley nee Stewart, had sadly died in childbirth in 1934. Joyce and Jean lived at Testar Grove with Jack and Lily Devitt and Lex for a few years, returning to Sydney when Bill returned from the war. Paula lived ‘just around the corner’ in Balaclava Road, and loved spending time with Jean. William was born in Sydney in 1945, then in 1953, Barbara completed the Hooley family. A treasured memory of Aunty Joyce was her close relationship with my mother, Paula, who was three years older. They stayed in regular contact throughout their lives. I was always thrilled to hear them chatting away together on the phone, at least once a week, when I stayed with my mother at her unit in East Malvern, where she lived until she was 96. A teacher, once a year during the school holidays I would drive with, and later drive, Paula to Sydney where we would stay at 15 Heights Crescent with Auntie Joyce. Mum would stay in 'Barb's room', while I would stay in the little flat, 'under the stairs'. I loved hearing Mum and Joyce chatting happily together upstairs. I could head out for a day in the city, Manly or other beaches, knowing that they were happy in one another's company, with their own plans for the day, and wouldn't miss me one bit! It was wonderful that, in their retirement years, they were able to travel overseas together to visit children, nieces and nephews. I treasure memories of their visiting me in Canada in 1982, of the trips we took together. The time spent with Jean and her family in New York was treasured by my mother, and I know by Auntie Joyce. Joyce’s love of her home, and the 'secret garden' below the cliff-like drop at the back of the garden, was unbounded. I don't think she was passionate about cooking, however she always remembered that I loved crumbed brains and bacon and cooked them for me whenever I visited. Had it not been for lockdowns in both Sydney and Melbourne at the time of her funeral, I know that my sister Janette and I would have driven to Sydney for Aunty Joyce’s funeral. We do, however, have very happy memories of our trip to Sydney for her 100th birthday party almost four years ago. I already miss Aunty Joyce, the knowing that she would be there if ever I visited Sydney, the happy visits she made to spend time with my mother in Melbourne. I loved her very much. Auntie Joyce would have celebrated her 104th birthday yesterday, had she lived. RIP Auntie Joyce. Beverley Lee 29 August 2021
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The Journey ...An 'occasional blog' recording elements of my renewed family history journey. This is the second wave in my 'family history' journey. The first lasted from 2010 to 2014. with intermittent bursts since then. It's time to revisit, to share more stories, to edit, to tackle uncertainties... Categories
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