Community

By Greg Martin

The passing of true Hawkesbury legend Bob Monaghan has cast a pall of grief over the district and far beyond.

Bob passed away on August 18 after a long and courageous battle with asbestosis.

Our heartfelt sympathies go to his beloved wife, June and son Dean, grandsons Peter, Isaac and Patrick, and his many friends and admirers.

Bob was an astute businessman, respected builder, champion rugby league player and Windsor Wolves icon. Most importantly, he was a thoroughly decent man who earned the affection of all who knew him.

A front-rower for Windsor’s A Grade side in the late 1960s, Bob was regarded as one of the toughest footballers to play in our district.

He had no time for sneaky punches, eye-gouging or underhanded tactics. He played hard, but fair.

A rugged tackler, Bob was equally formidable with the ball in hand. Attempting to stop him at full speed was like trying to tackle a steam engine.

He was an honest, tireless and hardworking player who earned the respect of teammates and opponents alike. Those same qualities ensured his success in business.

After leaving Richmond Rural Agricultural High School in 1955, Bob became an apprentice carpenter. His apprenticeship was interrupted by national service training and a stint labouring at the old Riverstone Meat Works.

In 1965, he established his own building company.

“I’ll never, ever forget my first job,” Bob once recalled. “It was remodelling the old toilets at Riverstone railway station. I pulled up the floorboards and there was about 100 years of filth under them it absolutely stank!”

After operating Monaghan’s Constructions for 21 years, Bob opened Monaghan’s Timber and Building Supplies in Baker Street, Windsor.

The business flourished and relocated to larger premises in Mileham Street. Bob eventually sold it in 1987, but the family name lives on through Monaghan’s Timber Mitre 10.

Bob enjoyed equal success and happiness in his family life.

He met June Phillips at a dance at the Blue Danube in Richmond in 1959. Together, they built a wonderful life, raising their sons Brad, Scott and Dean and later enjoying the company of their grandsons.

“I know it is now an often-used term, but June really is my soulmate,” Bob once said. “We have been through the highs and the lows, but we have always seen it through together.”

In retirement, Bob and June enjoyed travelling and playing golf. Both were members of Windsor Country Club, and wherever they travelled, their golf clubs went with them.

Rugby league remained one of Bob’s greatest loves. After representing Windsor as a junior, national service, work and the demands of establishing his business took him away from the game.

He returned to Windsor in 1967, playing three seasons before completing his career with the Penrith Panthers’ third-grade side in 1970.

Bob’s service to Windsor Rugby League continued long after his playing days. He was a long-serving committee member, club president and life member.

He also helped drive the club’s move from McQuade Park to its South Windsor complex, using his building expertise to help establish the dressing sheds and canteen.

Bob Monaghan’s legacy can be found throughout the Hawkesbury in the businesses he built, the football club he helped shape, the friendships he nurtured and the family he adored.

He was tough but fair, successful yet humble, and respected by generations of Hawkesbury residents.

Bob truly was one of Hawkesbury’s Finest and one of its most beloved.

Rest in peace, my friend.