His Memorial: Landmarks

Newcastle Herald

Monday September 29, 2008

Tyron Butson

He turned down a football career to help build a city, writes Tyron Butson.

OBITUARY

JOHN "JACK" DORAN

Born: November 11, 1928

Died: July 21, 2008

Funeral: Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton

SUCCESSFUL but unassuming developer John "Jack" Cerretti Doran was also a talented footballer who turned down a lucrative contract to play rugby league in Sydney in favour of completing his apprenticeship with the family business.

The talented sportsman died earlier this year aged 80, but will be remembered as a warm-hearted and generous man who was involved in the construction of several Newcastle landmarks.

Raised in a family of 12 children, the fifth son of Vincent Farrelly and Ethel May Doran came by his unusual middle name courtesy of the Vatican.

He was born in the same month a papal envoy visited Australia and his devoutly Catholic parents bestowed on him the same middle name as the official from Rome Cerretti.

When rugby league signing time came around or when he conducted official business, Mr Doran generally went as J C Doran, to which the question was usually, "Oh, is that short for Charles?" and the regular round of explanations about visiting papal dignitaries and unusual middle names would ensue.

Born in Wickham, he attended Hamilton Marist Brothers High School, where he excelled at sport but did not take to academic studies.

His schoolboy dislike of academia and a wicked sense of humour probably led to a mutual decision by his father and teachers to allow Mr Doran to leave school aged 13 to take up a carpentry trade with his father's business, VF Doran and Sons.

As the youngest apprentice at the company, his first job was to be the floor's "billy boy", assisting the qualified tradesmen while they worked.

VF Doran and Sons, which went on to become the Doran Group, thrived under the guidance of Mr Doran and his brothers and became one of the largest family-operated building and development companies in the Hunter.The company would later enjoy a boom time, erecting some of Newcastle's most prominent buildings, including the Newcastle Entertainment Centre and the Great Hall of Newcastle University. But before that, along with almost every other Australian business, it suffered during the Great Depression.

Shortly after Mr Doran's birth, his father packed all the family's belongings into a truck and headed north in search of building work.

Although Mr Doran had little in the way of formal education, friends, family members and co-workers remarked that he had a keen business sense and an understanding of everything that was going on around him.

His shrewd business sense and astute nature was complemented by a sense of generosity that was summarised by his lifelong motto: "Always leave something for the next guy", which he used to urge his employees not to be greedy.

Mr Doran was a devout Catholic, a faith that he held dear throughout his life.

Family members said Mr Doran was known for his "love of the simple things" and his "genuine, warm and generous" nature.

"Our father was a man who did not put on airs or graces and did not feel the need to flash money around, but purely enjoyed the simple things in life," his son Steve said.

"He was a relatively quiet, unassuming man, who was always very easygoing and enjoyed life."

He was perhaps best known for his sporting prowess. A natural sprinter, he embraced rugby league at an early age and played as a junior with the Northern Suburbs RLFC in the under-16 and under-18 divisions before being promoted to first grade in 1949.

Playing on the wing for Norths, he helped the side secure their 1951 first-grade premiership win that would lead to Sydney clubs courting him.

The same year saw him offered the chance to sign with the Newtown rugby league club but, after a talk with his father, Mr Doran opted to stay in Newcastle to pursue his carpentry career.

Soon afterwards he was selected to play for Newcastle against Illawarra.

Following his retirement from representative rugby league, Mr Doran went on to coach junior sides.

He was a foundation member of the Newcastle Knights.

Mr Doran was also a keen fisherman, and his family said he loved nothing better than weekends spent away fishing or at home watching his grandchildren play followed by sitting down to watch the footy.

Mr Doran is survived by his wife of 55 years, Joy, their three children, Vicki, Chris and Steve, and grandchildren Ashley, Birgitta, Chanteau, Courtney, Jack and Annabelle.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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