OBITUARIES
were constructed . Until his recent illness , Dick volunteered on the weekly roster and loved giving guided tours to share his love of Catalina with others .
Aged 73 , Dick received his restricted aviation pilots ’ licence . He formed the Catalina Jazz Band , playing his washboard , complete with thimbles and cow bell .
Dick died on 24 July 2020 at the Bendigo Hospice , Bendigo following a short illness .
PITT , George Robinson (’ 69 ) George ’ s brother , Robert (’ 68 ), wrote :
George Robinson Pitt was born at East Melbourne on 27 November 1952 , the son of Joshua ( SC 1927-34 ) and June , and the brother of Andrea , Joshua ( SC 1954-66 ) and Robert ( SC 1958-67 ).
He attended Scotch from 1958 to 1970 as a member of Gilray House , of which he was a 1970 House Prefect . George ’ s love of music began at Scotch as a member of the School Orchestra and Symphonic Wind Ensemble , and playing the euphonium as a Cadet in the Military Band . He was a member of the Sixth Form Committee and was a Social Service Group Leader . George played in the 1970 1st Tennis team and was a keen skier .
After passing Matriculation in 1969 and 1970 , George graduated in Economics at Monash University in 1973 , and then worked as an accountant at Coopers and Lybrand ( now PricewaterhouseCoopers ).
In 1974 he joined Joshua Pitt Pty Ltd , as the fourth generation of the family leather manufacturing business , which was established in 1890 . George completed a degree in Leather Technology from the University of Cincinnati in 1976 and did further study with the Federated Tanners of Australasia . In 1979 he became Managing Director and under his leadership for the next 35 years the company produced export standard vegetable tanned leather from cattle hides , supplying the cricket and football factories . It also provided shoe and
belt leathers for manufacturing businesses around Melbourne and exported to the United Kingdom , the United States of America , and Asia .
Anyone who has worn a pair of RM Williams boots or Florsheim shoes , kicked a Sherrin football or bowled a Kookaburra cricket ball has George to thank for making the leather .
George played golf at Royal Melbourne , tennis at Kooyong , supported the Melbourne Football Club , and enjoyed horse racing . On 11 May 1977 George married Rosemary Flude at Scotch . They had two daughters , Sarah and Emma , and their son , Joshua , attended Scotch from 1986 to 1997 .
George died on 22 March 2020 after a long illness . He is survived by his wife , children , and grandchildren George and Henry Pitt , and Miles and Ada Dearmun .
ROSS , Robert Ian ( Bob ) (' 50 )
Bob ’ s daughter , Mandy Edwards , wrote :
Robert Ian Ross was born at Camberwell on 24 December 1933 , the son of Old Boy Francis Leslie Curtis Ross ( born 30 June 1900 , SC 1915-18 , died 7 June 1976 ). Bob attended Canterbury State School for four years before attending Scotch from 1943 to 1950 as a member of Gardiner House . He was a member of the 1950 2nd XVIII , and Matriculated with Exhibitions in Latin and Greek , as well as a General Exhibition . Bob won a scholarship to Ormond College , graduating in 1954 from Melbourne University with a Bachelor of Arts ( Hons ), with Honours I in Classics .
In 1952 Bob played every game in the premiership-winning Old Scotch Juniors ’ XVIII in its inaugural season . Bob commenced teaching in 1955 at Sydney Grammar School under Colin Oswald Healey ( later Scotch Principal , 1964-75 ). He remained there for 39 years , 31 of them as Senior Classics Master and 25 as Senior Master . Bob was Acting Headmaster on four occasions .
He was a member of various academic committees , and continued as an HSC examiner for seven years after his retirement in 1993 , by which time he had steered Latin through hard times to a position of eminence in the Sydney Grammar School curriculum . In 1996 Bob had a new edition of a Latin text published in the United Kingdom .
On 22 December 1956 Bob married Elaine Margaret McMaster-Smith at Scotch . They had three children and five grandchildren , all of whom live in New South Wales .
In retirement , Bob played golf at the Pymble Golf Club . From 2000 he constructed archives for the club and in 2008 he published its history . Bob also twice served as President of his local Probus Club . He joined the local historical society and contributed many articles to its journal .
Bob remained intellectually active until his death on 23 March 2020 at Sydney , New South Wales .
RUSSEL , Manson George (’ 47 )
Manson George Russel was born at Armadale on 26 December 1929 , the son of former Scotch elocution teacher Hamish Witherstone Russel ( born 15 August 1881 , staff 1925-36 , died 6 August 1944 ). He attended Scotch from 1943 to 1948 as a member of Gardiner House .
Manson won triple colours as a member of the 1947 and 1948 Athletics teams , the 1948 1st XI , and in the 1946-48 1st XVIIIs , winning the 1947 premiership , and captaining in 1948 . Manson ’ s grandfather , George Malcolm Russel ( born 19 September 1855 , staff 1906-19 , died 15 January 1937 ) was also an elocution teacher . Manson ’ s brother , Jeff ( SC 1947-50 ), son Tim ( SC 1976-82 ), nephew Mark ( SC 1982-83 ) and Pointon grandsons Ben ( SC 2004-09 ) and Samuel ( SC 2011-16 ) were all at Scotch . After matriculating with First Class honours in Accounting and Economics , Manson was a sales clerk for Wright , Stephenson & Co ( 1949-51 ), a sales
88 Great Scot Issue 160 – September 2020