A very large crowd of mourners gathered at St Mathews Catholic Church Jamberoo on Thursday 21st October 2010 to celebrate the life of Gordon Downes. All of Gordon’s family, nieces and nephews participated in the service.  Daughter Ellen and son Steven provided a moving Eulogy that gave an insight into Gordon’s life.

From growing up in Jamberoo and learning to be a Mr Fix-it man, his Catholic faith and devotion to his local church, religious medals, making sponge cakes, his dancing ability,  love of ABBA music, his family involvement with the show movement, and the breeding of Illawarra Cattle were his passion, livelihood, hobbies and his heritage.

Gordon was the son of Arthur and Marjorie Downes ‘Roo View’ Jamberoo, brother to Geoff, Fay and John. He attended Jamberoo Public School and Kiama High School before returning home to work on the family farm.  In 1968 he met Marjorie Greenwood at dance in the Marshall Mount hall and in August 1970 they married to form a lifelong partnership.

Gordon was an active member of the Jamberoo Junior Farmers Club and played football for the Jamberoo Rugby League Club. He was awarded Life Membership of the Kiama Show Society having served on the Committee and a term as Society President. ‘Roo View’ and ‘Waterside’ cattle have been part of Kiama Show having been exhibited by the Downes family over many years. Gordon served his local community in a number of different ways.

The ‘Roo View’ stud, along with other Jamberoo district studs, ‘Lemon Grove’, ‘Tabbagong’, ‘Parkview’ and ‘Meadowhaven’ all exhibited large teams of Illawarras at Sydney and Kiama Shows.  Roo View Josephine 15 was Champion Cow at Sydney on a number of occasions, and on one of these occasions, her daughter, Roo View Josephine 25 was the Reserve Champion Cow.

Gordon has been a member of the Illawarra Cattle Society of Australia, Illawarra and Southern Branch of which he served a term as President, from 1971 giving enormous service during that time. He was appointed to the Provisional Judging Panel in 1974 and the Royal Judging Panel in 1978. He was appointed a Trustee of the Society in 1990.
 
Gordon was elected to the position of Federal President of the Illawarra Cattle Society in 1991 and continued in that role until 1994. At the time of his death he was our Federal Treasurer, a Trustee and Judging Panel Examiner.

Ellen made special mention to family connection and belonging. "Dad worked with his two brothers in a family company for the majority of his life. The three dairy farms were only separated in a business sense twelve years ago, with Geoff retaining the Roo View prefix, Gordon then commenced the Waterside Stud, and John, the “Mountain View” stud.   The boys remained loyal to each other and maintained a close working relationship especially in recent years.”
 
“Dad was very humbled by the recent care, prayers and thoughts expressed by the extended community. Dad wasn’t effusive in his praise of people, and in fact he was embarrassed if he was praised. He appeared very surprised and very touched by how many people cared. He seemed to have no real appreciation of the standing he held within his own community. For him this was uncovered as a consequence of his brief illness and provided a lovely sense of reassurance for him in his final weeks. Dad was very proud of Jamberoo, he was proud to be a dairy farmer and to breed Illawarras. He was proud to be a Downes, and he was proud of his family".

Gordon is survived by his wife Marjorie, daughter Ellen, a Doctor in Medicine, and son Steven.

The final line on the back of the order of the Funeral Service read --
"He did it his way. Just before milking time”

Gordon Arthur Downes - 7th June 1941 to 18th October 2010