Great Scot September 2019 Great Scot 157_September 2019_ONLINE | Page 98

Obituaries
An inspirational leader, Colin worked
tirelessly for the betterment of the wine
industry, through Winemakers of Rutherglen
and the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia.
In 2018 Colin was awarded an OAM for his
services to the winemaking industry.
Colin married Prudence Elizabeth Cooper
at Scotch on 30 January 1971. They were
proud that their daughters Jane, Susie and
Julie became actively involved at Campbells.
Now managing the wine business, they
combine their skills to continue the Campbells
legacy, and honour Colin by pursuing his
vision for the future of Campbells Wines.
Following a short battle with cancer, Colin
died at home at Rutherglen on Friday 10 May
2019, surrounded by his family.
To quote a colleague, ‘Colin’s tireless and
relentless pursuit of what he believed was
right and good made him a giant among
men, but it was his generosity and kindness,
together with his genuine and grassroots
nature that really set him apart’.
COOPER (nee
Petersons), Astrida Erika
(Staff 2004-10)
Scotch Archivist, Paul
Mishura, wrote:
I was one of many at
Scotch who lost a very
special friend with the death of Astrida at
the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness
& Research Centre, Heidelberg, on 25 July
2019.
Born at Melbourne to a Latvian family on
8 February 1958, Astrida attended Ivanhoe
Girls’ Grammar School. She graduated as a
Bachelor of Science with Honours, served in
the Army Reserve, and worked as a hospital
scientist. On 20 May 1983 Astrida married
Craig Giffard Brassey Cooper (SC 1963-74)
at Scotch.
Their son Peter (SC 1995-2007) and
nephews Nicholas (SC 1997-2009), Kris (SC
2000-12) and Matthew Paltoglou (SC 2003-
15) inspired Astrida’s myriad involvements
with the Scotch Family. Astrida said she had,
‘embraced Scotch in every possible way’.
She was a President of the Junior School
Parents’ Association, and involved in the
Cardinal Club, the Scrum Club, the Music
Auxiliary, and the Wine and Food Club.
Astrida co-chaired the ‘Dinner on the Main’,
96
Great Scot Number 157 – September 2019
a sesquicentenary celebration held in an
enormous marquee on the Main Oval on 24
March 2001 with 1851 people in attendance.
Already a member of the board of the
Scotch College Foundation (2001-04), Astrida
commenced work in Scotch’s Development
Office on 5 July 2004 as a Development
Officer. She assisted the Director of
Development, Alan Watkinson (2002-07), in
fundraising for Scotch’s building, scholarship
and other projects. With her detailed
knowledge of the Scotch Family, her love
of Scotch, and her perpetually friendly and
cheerful disposition, Astrida attracted more
friends and supporters for Scotch.
In 2007 she became the Acting Director
of Development, raising more friends and
funds until she left on 17 January 2010 to
become Associate Director of Major Gifts at
Trinity College, Melbourne University, working
for Alan. In 2012 Astrida became the Director
of Development at Ivanhoe Grammar School,
where she was held in the same regard
as at Scotch.
Her passion for fundraising saw her
become a director of the St Catherine’s
School Foundation Board (her daughter Axi
attended the school), a Victorian committee
member of the Yalari Foundation, and a
board director at EducatePlus (Victoria
and Tasmania).
In 2018 Astrida suffered a seizure and
was diagnosed with a cancerous brain
tumour. While she fought to conquer it,
others she knew battling ill-health were
remembered in her prayers. She resigned
from Ivanhoe earlier this year.
Astrida was an exemplar of those who
love and serve Scotch. She will be sadly
missed.
CROW, Robert Bruce
(Bruce) (’39)
Bruce’s brother, Murray
(SC 1934-45), and eldest
son, Robert (SC 1962-67),
wrote:
Born on 5 February
1923 at Ascot Vale, as the eldest son of an
eldest son, Bruce’s Scottish family tradition
decreed that he was named Robert (albeit
known as Bruce). Grandpa Crow’s five sons
included John Avon Crow (SC 1914-15),
and they collectively had nine sons attend
Scotch: Rev Archibald Paterson Crow (SC
1934-39; staff 1965-85), John Ross Crow
(SC 1935-38), Thomas James Russell Crow
(SC 1935-37), Leith Kenneth Crow (SC
1930-39), John Malcolm Crow (SC 1935-41),
Peter Douglas Crow (SC 1937-43), Murray
Alexander Crow (SC 1934-45) and Thomas
Leslie Crow (SC 1942-50, 1950 School
Captain).
Bruce attended Scotch from 1929 to
1938, but – aged 15 – was too young for
university, so he began General Engineering
at RMIT before transferring to Melbourne
University.
Bruce’s father, Robert, won the Military
Medal in World War I, and, in World War II,
all of his grandsons served, bar the youngest
two. In August 1941 Bruce joined the
Victorian Scottish Regiment. However, finding
guarding the Rye back beach and Western
Australian beaches boring, he transferred
to the RAAF. Bruce finished flight training in
Calgary in the top two, dooming both men to
roles as instructors there until war’s end.
Commencing work with the Crow and
Australian Porcelain group of companies,
Bruce became CEO of ARP Crow Building,
and Chairman of both. ARP Crow became a
major Victorian construction company, and
included specialised refractory brickwork. It
built hospitals, university buildings, schools
and commercial buildings throughout
Victoria. Unfortunately, diversification caused
the company’s cessation, but for its name, in
Shepparton.
Bruce served on the Scotch and PLC
Councils, and was a keen Freemason. He
was an excellent golfer, and was 1956 club
champion of Riversdale. Bruce later played
at Kingston Heath. On 23 July 1948 Bruce
married Lillian Joy Bawden at Scotch,
enjoying a happy marriage until Joy’s death
on 26 December 1983. Their children were
Robert (SC 1962-67; solicitor), Geoffrey (SC
1964-70; minister and school chaplain) and
Janet. His grandson Tim boarded at Scotch
(SC 2006-08).
After Joy’s death, he married Bonney
Alma Plant at Hawthorn, South Australia,
on 23 January 1985, with whom he happily
finished his life. Bruce died at Maculata Place,
Shepparton, on 21 March 2019.