Garfield mourns a longtime legend

By Glen Atwell
GARFIELD legend Albert Bow moved house once in his 74 years of life and that was to a property only 200 metres down the road.
Albert Edward Bow was born on 9 July 1932 at Bunyip Hospital.
He was the second child to Albert (Bill) Bow and Mary (Molly) Bow and the third generation Albert Edward Bow.
Albert started school at the local St Joseph’s Catholic at Iona in 1938 after being kept home an extra year because of a polio epidemic.
His school days were happy and Albert vividly remembered his daily task of having to remember the news headlines at the corner shop in Vervale for discussion at school.
During the war years, Albert recalled the days he saw the headlines ‘We are at war’ and ‘Bombs dropped on Hiroshima’ on the way to school.
But his most memorable schooling achievement was a sporting one.
It was school sports day at the St Patrick Athletic meeting in Dandenong and Albert, along with his relay members Kevin Fitzgerald, Kevin Kelly and Kevin Drake, ran first to take the top prize. The win was a huge feat for their small Iona school and the four runners received press coverage.
Albert played two games of football for Garfield as a 15yearold, but injured his knee and did not return to the field until 1953. He played about 100 games through to 1958 before knee problems struck again and forced Albert’s early retirement.
Albert met future wife Patricia in 1955 and the loving couple engaged in November 1957.
It was around this time that Albert moved house for the one and only time in his life, to a modern property just down the road.
Once married, parenthood did not take long: Peter was born on 24 August 1958, Jill on 2 July 1960, Alistair on 25 June 1963, Neville on 14 October 1965, David on 25 May 1968 and Ashley on 16 October 1970.
In 1973 Albert bought a motor car garage in Garfield and Bow’s Service Station was born. His younger brother Garry worked as a mechanic and son Alistair completed an apprenticeship.
It was a tough year in 1980 for the Bow family. Albert suffered from a heart problem that resulted in a quadruple bypass in 1982, and Patricia was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
After being ordered to slow down, Albert retired and spent his days working around the house and discussing his beloved Garfield Football Club.
Both Albert and Pat were dedicated supporters of both the football and netball clubs and were the proud grandparents of 17 grandchildren.
Sadly, Albert died on 27 November at the Monash Medical Centre in Clayton. Nielsen Funeral Services held a service at St Josephs Catholic School at Iona on 1 December.
Albert Bow may have only moved house once in his 74 years, but he lived a full, active and memorable life.