Eulogy by His only Son Peter A Harding and His only Daughter Mary-Ann Vanderhaar

During the Great Depression of the 1920s our father, Roy Suzuki came into the world on 30th June 1923. His father was “David” Jiju Soya Suzuki, 1873 - 1937, a Japanese Gentleman who was a Professor of Japanese Zen Garden Design, who had travelled to London in 1910 to explore new opportunities in Great Britain. He took an English Wife, Henrietta Dorothy Blanche Harding, 1893 - 1963, a shop assistant. He fathered 7 children with her but only 5 survived childhood.

Hannah Iris Suzuki 1916 - 1921 and Arthur Hide Suzuki 1928 - 1930, passed away in childhood.

The surviving children were Henry Albert Suzuki 1917 - 1991 , George Suzuki 1919 - 1999, David Hubert Suzuki 1922 - 2004, Roy Suzuki 1923 - 2024, and William John Suzuki 1926 - 2020

When Roy was 16 years of age he signed up with The Royal West Kent Regiment in Brasted, Kent, on June 27th 1940. Then in April 1940 Roy had Volunteered for the Commando ‘s, a specialist army force trained in guerilla warfare and sabotage. Roy was assigned to No 5 Commando and sent to Achnacarry in Northern Scotland to train. During this Training Roy Parachuted from a Tower on a Static Line which opened his Parachute . Unfortunately that day his equipment malfunctioned and Roy hit the ground very hard, damaging both his knees. Roy was sent to a Specialist in Harley Street who managed to get his knees working again.

When Roy got back to Achnacarry, No 5 Commando were on a Ship and off to Borneo in the Far East. Undettered Roy jumped into the Bay and tried to swim after the Ship. He was picked up by the Coast Guard and taken to the Police Station where after a few days they confirmed that he was a serving army soldier from Achnacarry and returned him back there. Roy then joined No 6 Commando.

Roy then saw action in North Africa taking part in Operation Torch. He took part in further operations as directed by the Army eventually culminating in Operation Overlord On the 6th of June 1944.

After being Demobbed from the army in December 1946 after finishing up as a Sargent in the Army Education Corps, Roy found himself in Paris, France during what he describes in his memoirs as the coldest winter on record.

Ŕoy stayed in Paris for 1 year working as an Assistant to the Sport Sub Editor of the Continental Daily Mail in Paris. After saving up enough money Roy left France and flew to an Airstrip in the middle of the Belgian Congo. He slept on a Picnic Table for 3 days - the local tribesmen supplying him with bananas so he didn't starve. Roy managed to catch a ride on another aeroplane to Kenya where he got a job as an Engineers Clerk in one of the many Copper Mines there. When Roy had saved up enough money he left Kenya and started working his way south doing odd jobs along the way. When he reached Durban in South Africa, he tried to seek employment in the Newspapers of Durban but was unsuccessful due to the high number of ex-army personnel occupying those positions within the Newspapers. That didn't stop Roy from finding out as much as he could about the 2 major Newspapers and keeping his name and details with the respective editors of those newspapers. Roy was eventually offered full time employment after a reporter had left to return to England.

In 1955 Roy met and married his first wife, Jaline Katrina Walker 1930 - 1987 and the following year she gave birth to a Baby Daughter - my sister, Mary-Ann. Unfortunately the marriage didn't last long and they were divorced after 2 years of marriage. Roy then met his Second Wife, Elizabeth Jean Rathbone 1938 - 2010, in 1959 and the following year his son Peter was born.

Roy worked as a roving reporter all over Continental Africa. He more or less kept on the move to avoid arrest by the South African Government for writing anti-apartheid articles. I might mention that Roy’s Editor in Chief was Donald Woods 1933 -2001, who harboured Negro Activist, Steve Biko 1947 - 1977, from the authorities until Biko was Captured and Beaten to Death by the South African Police for being a Dissident and a Thorn in the side of the South African Government through his Black Consciousness Movement.

Roy received word from Donald Woods to get out of Africa as he would be next on the Government's Hit List. In 1965 Roy gathered up the Family and Boarded the S.S. Stirling Castle bound for South Hampton.

After finding a house in the suburb of Norbury , Dad started work as a Sub-Editor Editor on The London Daily Telegraph which was in Fleet Street near The Inner Temple and the Law Courts. Roy decided to Study at Grey's Inn, one of the Colleges at The Inner Temple, where he become a Barrister and Solicitor. After 7 years of study, Dad was Called to the Bar to receive his Bachelor of Law Degree or LLB.

Roy then applied for Citizenship to Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Australia was Calling and after several trips to Australia House at Earl's Court Roy and his family were finally granted permanent Immigrants Visas to settle in Australia.

In 1972 Roy and his family said goodbye to England and set sail for an Four Month cruise to Melbourne, Australia via The Canary Islands, Portugal, Cape Town, Durban, Fremantle then on to Melbourne, only the family didn't disembark in Melbourne because of problems with the ship's rudder. The S.S. Northern Star continued on to Sydney where the Ship was met by 2 Tug Boats who guided the Ship though the Sydney Heads to Sydney Harbour. All passengers then disembarked, and all passengers for Melbourne were booked overnight to stay in the Gazebo Hotel in the heart of Kings Cross.

The following day Roy and his family boarded a Plane to Melbourne. Roy was expecting to start work the following week for a local Law Firm. Roy secured Accommodation at a House in the Melbourne suburb of Baldwin North. His Daughter Mary-Ann, found suitable employment as an Apprentice Hair Dresser at a nearby Hair Salon. His son Peter, was to Start at a local School nearby. Unfortunately Roy’s position as a Lawyer at the Law Firm had fallen through. Roy then applied for a position as a Barrister and Solicitor going at Thompson and Mildren & Co, in Darwin, Northern Territory. Roy secured employment with them and was given a month to get to Darwin.

What eventuated was a Long Road Trip in a Second Hand Car and 12 foot Caravan that 4 people would squeeze into each night at various caravan parks around Australia. One surprise was the discovery of eating a Hamburger with the lot - food so enormous that it would fill the family’s hungry bellies for the whole day and into the night time. Roy was used to the Heat and adjusted very quickly. His Wife, Daughter and Son, however, didn't fare to well in 45oC heat in a small car towing a caravan.

Arriving in Darwin, Roy secured Rental Accommodation from Dr Cox who owned several houses in the Suburb of Nightcliff. We stayed at 1 Bauhinia St for a couple of months before Roy found a House a few streets away at 6 Phoenix Street. Mary-Ann found work as an Apprentice Hair Dresser and Peter started High School at Nightcliff High School.^

Roy’s Wife Jean, started working as a Kitchen Hand in The Ball and Chain Restaurant around the corner in Nightcliff Place Shopping Centre. The Restaurant was owned by a Local Politician, Tom Harris and his Wife.

For a couple of years we ate Restaurant Quality Food ! Jean left that job and started working as a Clerk for the Education Department in Mitchell Street Head Offices located in the T & G building in the city

Then on Christmas Eve of 1974 Roy and his Family’s life was turned upside down. That night Cyclone Tracy blew into Darwin and wiped out the City and Suburbs. Roy’s house was nothing more then a few walls and floorboards sitting atop of concrete pillars as was the style of houses in Darwin at that time. The Family spent the night sleeping on the floors of classrooms at The Nightcliff High School the following day. Roy, his Wife and Son stayed in Darwin as Roy was asked by The Attorney General to keep the Legal Aid Office open.

Roy’s Daughter Mary-Ann and her Husband were evacuated from Darwin to the Southern Capitals. Meanwhile in Darwin Roy was able to secure accommodation at The Anwell Motel near the Larrakeyah Army Barracks. The following year, construction began and Roy was able to secure permanent government accommodation in the newly created suburbs of Anula and Wulagi. Roy’s house was 15 Wulagi Terrace.

In 1979 Roy Divorced his Wife. In 1980 Dad met and Married His Third Wife, Violet June Kilian after her Divorce from her husband Gaham Kilian. She had 3 children from that marriage. Mary-Ann had married Demitrius (Jimmy) Lambos, a Butcher by occupation .

Roy was Head hunted after a year a Thompson and Mildren & Co, to Start up Aboriginal Legal Aid Office in the City. This meant that Roy would have to travel all over The Northern Territory attending the various Law Courts and dealing with Clients.

After a year of doing that Dad was once again Head hunted for The Australian Legal Aid Office.

Roy became their Family Law Specialist and was the Family Law expert. Roy preferred this to being a General Criminal Lawyer being on call 24 hours of the day being woken from slumber to bail people out of the Police Watch House in the early hours of the morning/night.

Around the 1980's Roy had purchased a holiday Unit near the Randwick Racecourse in the suburb of Ascot in Sydney New South Wales. It was just a short walk to the Race Track on Saturday's where Dad and Jimmy enjoyed punting on the Races. I might add that Jimmy and Mary moved to Sydney and opened The Tiger Butchery in Balmain. They rented Roy’s Unit so they could save up for their own home.

After a few years Mary-Ann & Jimmy moved to Adelaide where Jimmy opened up Maramba Meats Butcher Shop in the suburb of Unley.

After retiring from Legal Aid, Roy sold his Unit in Sydney and Moved to Adelaide where he bought a House opposite his Daughter & Son-in-law in the suburb of Glenelg North. Roy enjoyed his golf and Horse Racing as there were 3 Golf Course and a Racetrack within a couple of minutes drive. Soon after Roy decided to go into Private Practice mainly preparing Will's for clients. He also had time to play golf 3 or 4 times a week. Roy also worked For Legacy as their Legal Advisor/Solicitor as a Volunteer. Roy then decided to sell his Practice so he could play more golf. He joined The Grange Golf Club at Grange, and played in the local Tournaments.

Roy had also visited England some 12 times and attended the Anniversaries of D-Day in Normandy. He also stayed with his Brother, Henry Suzuki, in the London suburb of Streatham.

In 2022 Roy had a Bad fall in went into hospital. In January 2023 He was diagnosed with having Dementia and Alzheimers and moved to a Temporary Nursing Home which was attached to the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Roy was then moved to a Temporary Nursing Home before being transferred to his current facility.

It was there in Room 70 that Roy enjoyed the next 2 years of his life being a joy to all who knew him as well as the Staff at The Pines Lodge Southern Cross Nursing Home.

Roy passed away peacefully around 3.15pm in the afternoon of the 3rd of June 2024. He is survived by his only Daughter Mary-Ann Vanderhaar , his only Son Peter Allen Harding and His 3rd Wife Violet June Kilian-Harding.

He will be sadly missed by all.

May He Rest In Peace.