By Callum Ludwig
A staple member of the Rotary Club of Upper Yarra and beloved resident Valda Margaret ‘Val’ Woodman has passed away, at the age of 94.
Val peacefully departed on Tuesday 5 July.
Yarra Ranges Council mayor Jim Child paid tribute to Val at the 12 July Council meeting.
“Val was a passionate member of the Upper Yarra Rotary Club and past president of Wandin Rotary Inner Wheel, a Roarty International Women’s Organisation to create friendship, service and understanding,” he said.
“In Rotary, Val was always very involved with youth. For many years, she organised the Portsea Children’s Camp for disadvantaged young people from the Upper Yarra.”
Val was the cherished wife of Fred, loving mother and mother-in-law of Ann and Max, Jill and Ron and Ruth and Stephen.
Mr Child said when Fred Woodman passed away in 1997, Val replaced him on the board of the Upper Yarra Social Services Committee.
“She later became the secretary, a position which she held until 2018. She was also very involved with the welfare of Karinya Retirement Village residents,” he said.
“I’m sureVal would want me to see more about Karinya village, she was so passionate about it. I must say Karinya in Indigenous, is ‘a happy home’. The journey that Karinya has been on, established in 1975, to me I think it is a journey of reconciliation from back all those years ago to name those homes Karinya.”
Val was the special Grandma of Marcus and Ashley, Laura and Drew, Mareka and John, Sam and Tammy, Ben and Lauren, Josh and Emily, Carly and Peter and Matthew and Orie as well as the Great Gram of Lily, Ivy, Acelin, Kira, Harry, Charlotte, Kenzie, Xavier, Angus, Indigo, Summer, Elisa and Luke.
Mr Child said Karinya is a little know success story in our municipality and Val played a big role.
“It began in 1875 when the not-for-profit Upper Yarra Social Services Committee built four units on a hillside block just out of Yarra Junction. Upper Yarra Rotary took over management of the project in 1985 and as Volunteer Secretary Val Woodman along with chair Rick Houlihan kept the now 17-unit Karinya in good shape, a not-for-profit organisation and it grew from four to 17 units, an amazing feat,” he said.
“The Karinya philosophy is one of independence and maintaining a good quality of life. People live life at Karinya rather than simply existing. A true example of a non-profit community housing project and again I say, valeVal Woodman.
Karinya housing is available for aged pensioners living in the O’Shanassy Ward boundaries or who have had children living in the area for some time.
