By Jed Lanyon
Healesville resident Stuart McDonald passed away on Saturday 14 August aged 75.
Stuart (born 24 August 1945) was a longtime member of the Rotary Club of Healesville, leading the Youth Exchange program. His close friends at the club paid their respects.
Healesville GP Dr Elroy Schroeder said he felt “significant sadness” reporting the passing of his friend ‘Stuey’ after a battle with a chronic disease.
“Stuart, a man of small stature, was born with significant deformities. He refused to be disadvantaged or impeded by his deformities and became a giant in a small body and made admirable contributions to the Healesville society,” said Dr Schroeder.
“Stuart and his only sibling Rosina Norwood grew up in Myers Creek Road and did his schooling in Healesville.
“Stuart worked at the Department of Forestry in Toolangi until his retirement. In his younger days he became a member of the Apex Club of Healesville. The screen printing service he ran on behalf of the club was a great fundraiser and allowed him to use his training in graphic arts.
“It was as a member of the Apex Club that Stuart got himself in the news. He and a few members decided to run a fake edition of the Mountain Views newspaper, which they named the “Mountain Spues”. Most of Healesville’s citizens found this spoof publication very funny, a few did not.
“When it became time to leave the Apex Club, Stuart joined The Rotary Club of Healesville. A club that he embraced with remarkable vigour. Rotary became his family. He was a director of the club and was its president twice. For his contribution he was awarded Rotary’s highest honours, A Paul Harris Fellowship and Sapphire Award.
“It was Rotary’s International Student Exchange program that became Stuart’s reason for living. The amount of commitment, time, money and thousands of kilometres he invested in this project is mind boggling. The students loved him. He was their grand uncle.”
Fellow Rotary member Terry Hill said he would often joke with ‘Stu’ that he worked about the fact that he worked full-time for Rotary and part-time for the Forestry Commission.
“They mustn’t have minded though, for he was highly regarded there and was the coordinator for nearly 40 years,” he said.
“Stuey was personally responsible for most of our club’s incoming and outgoing students. I can tell you now that a number of those 48 students wouldn’t have had the opportunity, if it wasn’t for Stu.
“There were quite a few times, over the years, when everyone (except Stu) would agree that the Student Exchange program should be given a rest. Stu would go off after these decisions, muttering and shaking his head. Then he would quietly set about ensuring that it happened anyway.
“To say that Stu spent thousands of hours on Youth Exchange would be an understatement. It was his life for over 30 years. In our district alone, he catered for more than 300 students and with other districts, the total that he was responsible for, would be more than 1000,” Mr Hill said.
Past Rotary International President and close friend of Stuart, Ian Riseley will be the celebrant of the funeral, which will be held on 26 August and will be livestreamed for those who cannot attend.
Visit Healesville Rotary’s website (www.rotaryhealesville.org) or social media to view the livestream link.
