Vale John Bernard O'Loughlin

Son of John (Jack) and Noreen (nee McCarthy) O’Loughlin

Brother of (Fr) Peter; Mary & Carolus (dec) Ketsimur; Michael (Dec); and Anne & Geoffrey Dean. Father of Maree Schafer, John, Nicole White and Paul.

John grew up in Butterworth, West Hobart and his family were active Cathedral parishioners, where John spent time as an Altar Server.

After early schooling at St Joseph's, John moved to St Virgils, Barrack Street till he completed his matriculation. He was a good student and had the wonderful example of the Christian Brothers, including Br Hessian and Brother Joyce. While John was a good all-round athlete; he excelled on the athletic track, holding records in the 440 and 880. His race plan was to lead from the front, “Let them catch me”.

John was awarded a scholarship to study Agriculture and after graduating as a “Batchelor of Agriculture”, horticulture became his life career later he added “A Batchelor of Economics” to his achievements. He shared his knowledge and experience as a lecturer at UTAS.

During the days of the shipping of apples and pears by sea, John was involved in the cool storage and preparation of the fruit here and later flew overseas to England and Asia to meet and report on the fruit.

John was an enthusiastic gardener, with showcase lawns, shrubs flowers and backyard veggie patches. Another hobby carried on from school days, was well-kept bird aviaries.

To say that John was a keen fisherman would be doing him a disservice as he was almost a fanatic and a very successful one at that.

The main celebrant of John’s Mass of Christian Burial was John’s brother, Fr Peter, assisted by Archbishop Adrian Doyle (an OVA and also a West Hobart resident), Fr Mark Freeman, with Fr Graeme Howard in the wing.

We give thanks for John’s life and influence. May John rest in peace.

Many thanks to his brother, Father Peter, for providing the details of John’s life.

In remembering John, it is appropriate that his mother’s contribution to St Virgil College is not forgotten.

Tribute to Mrs Noreen O’Loughlin - College Secretary/Business Manager

Tribute taken from the 1980 St Virgil’s College Yearbook.

May 1980, saw the end of an era at St Virgil’s College, when Mrs Noreen O’Loughlin retired from the staff after an association with the College dating back more than 30 years. Her three sons, John, Peter and Michael were all pupils of the College. After the death of her husband Jack in 1957, Noreen joined the office staff as Bursar during the headmastership of Br Hessian. She became Secretary of the Parents and Friends Association in 1958 and was re-elected to that office on a number of occasions in subsequent years. She was made the first Life Member of the P & F Association in 1969.  Since her first appointment by Br Hessian in 1958, Noreen gave loyal and devoted service under five succeeding Headmasters – Brs Murphy, Bourke, Howe, Doolan and Parton.

All who have been associated with Mrs O’Loughlin during the past 25 years will agree that there could not have been a more conscientious member of staff. She was most meticulous in the performance of all her bursarial duties. Every cent had to be accounted for – a task that involved hours of checking and counter-checking – an unenviable task but one regarded as indispensable for a person of her unimpeachable honesty.

But her concept of Virgilian service went far beyond the bounds of monetary duty. She was at everyone’s beck and call. If a Brother wanted to know the location of a key – “See Noreen; if a staff member wanted to order some books – ‘See Noreen’; if some repair work needed attention – ‘See Noreen’; if a young student met with some unforeseen mishap in the playground and needed first aid – ‘See Noreen’- and so it went on, day after day and week after week. No Bursar in any establishment ever accumulated such a multiplicity of variegated jobs – many of which bore little or no relevance to matters bursarial. In spite of the many frustrating interruptions that this entailed, everyone – be they brother, lay staff, student, cook, groundsman, parent or tradesman – was given attention with ready word and cheerful smile.

Thomas a’Kempis in the “Imitation of Christ” makes the comment that “it is no small thing to live in a monastery”. The inference was obvious. In a period of 22 years in a scholastic institution one encounters a wide variety of characters and personalities and it is inevitable that there will be differences of opinion leading to minor ripples on the surface waters. However, such disturbances distracted Noreen from the even tenor of her ways but for the proverbial fleeting moment. Her inherent honesty and singleness of purpose never allowed her to deviate one iota from the loyal service she had pledged to the College she had come to regard as part of herself. There would be few who would disagree with the dictum that during her long association with St Virgil’s College, Mrs Noreen O’Loughlin made many new friends but never lost an old one.

All members of the Virgilian family – Brothers, staff, parents, students and friends – wish Noreen a long and happy retirement and we pray that God will bless her abundantly in the years to come.

Noreen passed away on 5 May 1997.

Noreen had three sons, John, Peter and Michael – all attended the College. Peter (svc 1949-58) joined the priesthood – he was ordained in 1966 and retired from the ministry in 2019. Peter was Inducted onto the St Virgil’s Heritage Roll of Honour 2010 in recognition of his service to the Church and the broader community. Michael (svc 1955-66), like John, moved into the agricultural science area.  Mike was an outstanding athlete p- he won the Southern Independent Schools Open Cross Country title for three consecutive years 1963-65 and was second in 1962. Michael passed away in October 2006. Noreen’s younger daughter Anne married Geoff Dean (svc 1957-65).