Vale
Les Schultz
09/10/1925 - 03/11/2024
(99 years)
It is with great sadness that Rotary Melbourne inform the club of the death of our dear friend and colleague Les Schultz. Les passed away peacefully at Claremont Terrace Aged Care on the 3 November 24 at the age of 99. Many in the room will not know their fellow member Les, because he has not attended a meeting in the last decade. But he was a committed Rotarian. Les joined the Rotary Club of Traralgon in 1958 when he was working at the APM Maryvale paper mill. He joined the Melbourne Rotary in May 1972 with the classification TIMBER -FORESTRY - PRIVATE when he transferred to the APM Fairfield Paper Mill. This makes him a fifty-year member with Melbourne Rotary and takes his total Rotary service to 69 years.
For this club he served on the Student Exchange Committee including Chair, the Rotary Park Committee, the Reception Committee, the International Service Committee for over a decade and was a Director in 1977-78.
He was a longtime member of the Bayside Group and also served as Group Captain. Rotarian David Prest recently wrote to Les’ son, Chris in which he recalled attending his first Bayside meeting at the Schultz home in the 1970s. It was an all-male affair, and a business suit was the accepted attire. Scotch was served and the loose agenda was cricket or football, the share market, the property market, what’s wrong with the tax system, trade union shenanigans and who will win the next election. Supper was served and everybody departed at 10pm. Friendship was his priority with Peg and Les hosting graciously.
Les was given the club’s highest recognition when he was elevated to Honorary Membership in 2018. His non attendance over the last decade was due to hearing loss and other health issues. He persevered but, in the end it became too difficult. He is very fondly remembered by our older members for his smile, friendship and service and, we hail him as a truly great Rotarian.
