Vale John (Darcy) Duggan

05/08/1931 - 13/01/2023

FORMER RAAF Safety Equipment Worker and one of the ‘Bottle-O’s’ who raised money to build the Cabanda aged care home in Rosewood, John (Darcy) Duggan passed away on January 13.

He was born in Brisbane on August 5, 1931 and as a young man worked in his grandfather’s boot factory in Brisbane.

He later enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force as a Safety Equipment Worker.

Among his many postings with the RAAF, John served in Singapore with the Lincoln and the Canberra Aircraft and later in Butterworth he served with the Mirage Aircraft.

During his service he travelled throughout many places in Australia and he also took part in RAAF exercises all over the world.

John met Isabella, who was a Women’s Royal Australian Air Force Stewardess. They were married and together had four children.

After John discharged from the RAAF he moved to Rosewood with his family and during this time he was approached by one of the ‘Bottle-O’s’.

The ‘Bottle-O’s’ were a handful of community members who wanted to support aged people who did not want to leave their community and collected and salvaged bottles to raise money for an aged care home. That, home is now known as Cabanda.

John’s job with the ‘Bottle-O’s’ was to drive around the area to collect paper, cardboard, bottles and cans all to raise money for the home - John’s portrait can be seen today at Cabanda.

Once the objective was achieved, John started playing golf, joined the local club, where he made many friends.

John also became involved in the Rosewood Returned Services League and volunteered to sell badges and pins in the lead up to Anzac Day and Remembrance Day services. He was always pleased to help and to support his fellow comrades.

Through the RSL, John met many families and built a strong comradery with fellow veterans. He was a valued member, who was described as “humble and kind”.

In his latter years, John was known to take his daily trip to the local newsagency where he would collect a paper and have a chat to the locals along the way, a friendly face to all who knew him.

A man of wisdom and great respect, John was loyal to all who met him, a family man and a beloved husband to his wife Isabella.