Richard Faddy has passed on the sad news that Paul Black passed away on Monday 7 June 2021.
Paul’s sister, Muriel, had contacted Dave Stimson who has advised Paul’s friends and colleagues from his days in OTC.
Apparently Paul went downhill rapidly over the last month – heavily drugged and could not eat. So it is a relief really for his family who have had to watch a decline in cognitive reason and awareness for just 18 months. Very sad.
May He Rest In Peace.
1 Comment
Paul Black joined OTC in 1961/62 as a trainee technician at the DCA training school Marrickville.
He was 15 years old at the time leaving school after the Intermediate Certificate. This was unusual for someone to be recruited at this age.
Sometime later, I recall the recruitment officer Tom Hughes relating that at interview Paul brought in crystal sets, R/C aeroplanes and such like to demonstrate his interest.
Subsequently sent to Bringelly as a Technician, I went to Doonside and Dennis Grant was conscripted into the army.
Some years later, OTC purchased the Univac computer system to control the MRSC at Paddington. Paul was selected to be trained by Univac to be part of the technical operation group and assist in the installation. The other technicians chosen were – Andrew Rothlisberger, Keith Grey, Peter Hill, Dick Harnett, Paul Suttie, Richard Faddy and myself.
Some years passed and Univac made offers to Paul Black, Keith Grey, Paul Suttie and Dick Faddy to come and work for them. Peter Hill took a position with the Pipeline Authority as their first computer maintenance officer.
So that goes someway to explain why these guys are not so well known now. Their leaving enabled the next group of MRS technicians such as Allan Mason to take over.
Paul Black went on to head up the technical staff for Wang. (Who remembers OTC spending millions on Wang Office ?).
It does in a small way demonstrate how well OTC technicians were trained and how successful all were in their careers and this continued with ex-OTC staff through to the end.
regards –
Dave Stimson