JOHN MALCOLM GARNET COWIE

Loved and cherished husband and soulmate of Olga. Beloved father and father-in-law to Sam and Emily, Lachlan and Caitlin, Madeleine and Dan, Eleanor and Luke. Doting Granda to Marius, Julian, and Ida.

Son of Dorothy (dec.) and Gil (dec.), and brother to Anne (dec.) and Katrina.

Son-in-law, brother-in-law, uncle, cousin, and friend to many. Committed and dedicated educator.

John was a kind, gentle, compassionate, and unconventional man who has left us too soon.

Slange! dear Johnno.

John was a loving and devoted father to Samuel, Lachlan, Madeleine and Eleanor. He embraced fatherhood wholeheartedly being actively involved in all aspects of life in a big family.  The clans of Cowie, Blasch and Garratt were his life. His warmth and generosity extended to all our family and friends. He would do whatever he could to help them. It was very important to him to share what he had with others.

John and I made a good team, for 45 years our lives were woven together, with joys and challenges that made our bond stronger.

John was a gentle and reserved man with a great intellect and a head full of trivia. He loved a good chat, often with himself, but it was a solid intellectual argument with someone that fired him up.  He would get very vocal and passionate.

No topic was off limits….politics, books, history, music, poetry, sport, environmental issues, cars, trains, ….

He often said he just wanted a quiet life reading and researching topics that caught his eye.

Although he had a variety of interests and hobbies…..photography, sport, gardening, sketching, wine, painting, family history, bush walking, learning German… music was his constant and ongoing passion. His musical taste was quite eclectic. He sang and played the guitar every day. Each of our four children were sung into this world and they were put to sleep most nights listening to John sing and play guitar.

John loved to teach, but was not a fan of the administrative side of education. The interaction with his students was paramount.

His mantra in the last few years was ….”we just need people to be kind to each other”

Written by Olga Blasch.