The Maltese Saint John
Reg and St. John
John Zerafa was born in Libya of Maltese parents and their family
escaped via Italy to immigrate to Australia, when John was a young boy of ten,
on the ship S.S. Sydney in 1960. He used to work for Australia Post and
definitely is there, rain or shine or hail and on time if he says he will be
there. Always with a quiet friendly smile, he is seen regularly volunteering in
the bookstore on the main street on Mondays, driving a Red Cross bus, delivering
stuff to help old and disabled people in
town, ever ready to help anyone that he comes across that needs help. He does
it all freely without expecting or taking anything in return. I could not have
done some of the toughest wood work around my house without him around. He
quietly lives his philosophy of life in service to others. He makes the best
coffee in the world, no I really mean it, the best ever – forget Starbucks! He
tells of how he grew up with coffee in his house, his mom made it the
traditional way and he learned from her. When he stopped having as much of his
traditional coffee at his work, he had interesting withdrawal symptoms. You can
well understand it after tasting a cup of his best one.
John has raised three children and is one
of my heroes as a father, right alongside my own. A great listener and an
understanding spirit, John lives at the edge of the town. His property has
paddocks bordering a creek. John, too, knows a great many things, but is too
modest to tell unless asked. If you ever want to buy some of the finest pottery
in the world, in the neighbourhood of the Isle of Skye in Scotland, just let
John know. His daughter, who he is quietly chuffed about, is an internationally
renowned potter there.
Some people are like rocks – people have a
natural tendency to lean on them for support. John and Clarrie have been like
that for more than just me.
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