It's common for parents to volunteer in the school canteen while their child attends. Less common is volunteering for the next 35 years after they have left.
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That's what Marj Wotherspoon did and it sums up her unwavering drive to give back to her community.
It wasn't only at Kurri Kurri High School either - if you have bought a sausage sandwich at Kurri Kurri Sportsground in the past 65 years, It's likely you would have met her.
Marj was entrenched in the Kurri Kurri community. She was the first female president of the business chamber, a key member of Towns with Heart, Kurri Probus Club, Hunter Prelude Early Intervention Centre and her cherished Kurri Kurri Bulldogs.
The former Kurri Kurri business owner died on Wednesday, July 12. She was 80.
She was farewelled at a service attended by family and friends at the Church of Christ, Kurri Kurri on Thursday, July 20.
Born in Kurri Kurri on October 14, 1942, Marj had many business ventures, all based in Kurri Kurri, including a wedding shop called Many Materials, a few arts and crafts stores and Top End Clothing which she ran for many years.
As a lover of rugby league, Marj is a life member of both Kurri Kurri Junior League, where she was secretary, and the senior league where she worked all those years in the canteen.
Outside of the footy, Marj was dedicated to community projects in her home town. She was a founding member of the Towns with Heart organisation - a group responsible for creating more than 60 town murals as well as operating the visitor information centre.
She planted poppies in the early hours on ANZAC Day in Col Brown Rotary Park and was instrumental in the planning of Nostalgia Fest.
Her son Paul said she would spend Thursdays at the high school canteen followed by a power-nap then attend a cards night.
"Mum would happily hobble out the door with a bottle of wine in tow shouting don't wait up and stumble on back in again around 10pm letting us know she'd come last again but had an absolute ball," he said.
"Mum loved her social life and let's face it when she would talk to my wife Amber and I about her socially planned week we felt like the looser kids that lived with the popular kid."
More than six decades of dedication to the Kurri community was recognised in 2014 when Marj was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) on the Queen's Birthday honours list.
In her rare moments of spare time, Marj loved to travel. Packing up the VW Combi Van with her late husband Hugh and son Paul, they would trip around Australia with blue cattle dog Patch.
The family had a van at Wangi Point Caravan Park and Marj enjoyed weekend adventures to the beach full of fishing and boating.
After receiving her OAM in 2014 she wrote to the Newcastle Rugby League applying for life membership.
She had been unsuccessful in her previous two applications.
The OAM recipient wrote "It still seems to me that a life membership of Newcastle Rugby League is the most elusive title I have pursued."
Her son Paul is still pursuing her application.
On Saturday, July 29 the Bulldogs held a minutes silence at a packed Kurri Kurri Sportsground to honour Marj's contribution to not only her club, but the town of Kurri Kurri.
Ben Carr
Starting out as a reporter in Lightning Ridge in 2005, I returned to journalism in 2023 after 15 years spent in event production and technical services. Passionate about community news, contact me on ben.carr@austcommunitymedia.com.au or ph: 0484 524 000
Starting out as a reporter in Lightning Ridge in 2005, I returned to journalism in 2023 after 15 years spent in event production and technical services. Passionate about community news, contact me on ben.carr@austcommunitymedia.com.au or ph: 0484 524 000
