John S
John grew up with no family. His family were his card-playing and bowls-playing friends he made over the years. From the age of 3, when John’s parents died, he was bounced around from Broadmeadows to Kew Cottage and ended up at St Augustine’s Boys' Home in Geelong where he stayed until he was 20. He then started working as an apprentice, painting stained-glass windows. The apprenticeship took four years. John has painted a lot of the church windows around Melbourne. He did the stained-glass windows at the old Southern Cross Hotel in Exhibition Street, where The Beatles had played on tour in Melbourne.
John then moved on to work at The Alfred Hospital. He worked as an admitting clerk for 12 years until he became unwell himself with cancer.
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John has a son and a daughter as well as two beautiful grandkids.
When John came to Wintringham, he was quickly introduced to Rudy by his Recreation Officer after having stopped bowling for 8 years. The two of them became bowling buddies and John finally got the chance to do something he loved whilst making a good friend. Sadly, Rudy passed away in May, so John has decided to tribute his artwork to Rudy: 'Rudy’s Garden'.