HE was a no fuss type, a quiet observer but with talent to burn.
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He wore the moniker – ‘Pumpkin Joe’ – with a smile and went out of his way to help people.
That was Joe Medway – thinker, former mental health worker, photographer, Racing Club stalwart, Show enthusiast, Legacy member and so much more.
The community was shocked to learn of Mr Medway’s sudden passing on Sunday, aged 63.
He was on his way to the Sydney Royal Easter Show, his annual pilgrimage to help set up the Southern Districts exhibit, when he suffered a heart attack at Moss Vale.
His brother Russell said the convoy of cars going to the Show had pulled over to pick up more material from a storage shed when Joe collapsed. Two nurses came to his aid. Friends also performed CPR until the ambulance arrived. He could not be revived.
His family, including daughter Lisa and his brothers Rodney, Bernie and Russell are stunned by his sudden death. If slight blood pressure and cholesterol were any bother, he did not say.
But that would not be unusual for the father and brother they loved and who rarely reflected on self.
“He just wanted to get things done,” Russell said.
“If he could see that something needed doing, he’d do it without fuss. He didn’t want any trophies.”
Numerous community organisations benefited from a creative mind that “opened up doors” to make things possible. Mr Medway was a keen and instructive member of the Goulburn Camera Club, a long time director of Goulburn and District Racing Club, served on the Goulburn AP&H Society and with the Southern Districts Show committee, was a member of the local Suicide Prevention Network, joined Legacy in 2001 and was prominent in local rugby league circles.
Born at Gunning, Joe was the second son born to Walter and Bessie Medway. He attended Gunning Central School and then after his father died in 1964, transferred to Goulburn High School for the remaining three years.
After school, Joe took on a panel beating apprenticeship for two years before gaining employment at Kenmore Hospital.
As Russell explained, there was no particular drawcard for his brother back then; it was just the place where many Goulburn people gained work.
Joe trained as a psychiatric nurse and would spend the next 41 years in the mental health sector, gaining respect for his calm demeanour and way with people.
“He had a general concern for people,” his daughter Lisa said.
“He fell into mental health but it made a huge impression on his life.
Because he saw so much and experienced so much, he understood how society worked…He was very much an observer of human behaviour.
He took in everything.”
On at least one occasion he was able to talk a mental health patient out of harming himself and others when police could not.
After leaving Kenmore Hospital, Joe transferred to Springfield House near Goulburn Base Hospital. His training was such that he could have registered as a psychologist had he wanted.
But at age 59 he retired to pursue other projects, but not forgetting his passion for mental health support, particularly regarding suicide prevention.
His interest and attachment to the Kenmore Hospital site never wavered. Armed with the creative streak running in his family, he had taken thousands of photos of the property and had an encyclopaedic knowledge of its history. As a ‘friend’ of the museum he also conducted tours.
“He felt very strongly about Kenmore’s history and the need for it to be conserved,” Russell said.
Photography was a particular love, an interest he taught himself later in life but came to characterise him. His family described him as “more of a giver than a taker,” who enjoyed nothing more than snapping photographs for others and then seeing the look of happiness on their face.
“It was not just about taking a photo for him but what you could do with it and how to tell a story,” Lisa said.
In fact he was a man of many talents which he rarely spruiked. He was an accomplished billiards and snooker player, once beating Eddie Charlton. In his earlier days, he ran J&J Discos at the Phillip Court with a mate and brought the likes of Cold Chisel, ACDC and Rose Tattoo to Goulburn. Later on, he learnt how to grow giant sized pumpkins, earning him the title ‘Pumpkin Joe’ and several major Show awards.
Joe also had a strong sense of obligation to the community. He joined Goulburn Legacy in 2001, all too aware of the organisation’s role in his family’s life after his World War Two veteran father had died.
He looked after 10 Legacy widows and filled numerous committee roles, according to president Greg Seaman.
“He will be sorely missed because of his input at meetings and all the physical things he did,” Mr Seaman said.
“He was one of those blokes who always put his hand up.”
Joe was also a regular fixture starting off the two-up at the Soldiers Club on ANZAC Day, one of Legacy’s fundraisers.
Similarly, he served 12 years on the Goulburn and District Racing Club committee. If not on the microphone on race days he was organising things elsewhere.
“He was one of our best directors we ever had,” president Fred Cooper said on Monday.
“Joe was very handy, loved his racing and was always pleasant to deal with…He was a quiet man but very astute.”
“He’s a loss to the Racing Club and to those other organisations with which he was involved. He was a special person.”
Every year he would give a month of his time to help volunteers set up the Southern Districts exhibit at the Sydney Royal.
That’s where he was headed last Sunday, his car loaded with materials.
As Lisa explained, he was the shy, quiet man who was always happy to work behind the scenes.
Along the way he touched many with his generosity of spirit and insight.
The family is finalising funeral details. However the service will be held at St Saviour’s Cathedral, a place Joe loved, and the wake at the Racing Club.