Dear Members,
It was with great sadness that we share the news that TDAI Committee Member, Ron Baird ofGoulburn, passed away in early March after a long illness and we express our sincere condolences to his wife Mavis and family.
According to TDAI Member, Richard Chalmers, Ron “was our longest running Tunks Talk Coordinator and held many other positions on the committee over the years.
“His ability to produce the newsletters on time every time was a credit to his strong devotion to our Association and his desire to keep Members fully informed on all things Tunks and he will be hard to replace. Our experience with Ron will not be forgotten as he was very forthright in views about William and Sarah Tunks and encouraged the recording of the ongoing expansion of the many generations of Tunks family tree.”
Although living in Cooma at the time, Ron joined the Tunks Descendants Association at its large gathering in Parramatta Park in the early 1980s. Ron was elected to the Committee in 2000 and served as Vice President from 2001 to 2003 and again in 2013 to 2016.
He served as President from 2004 to 2010 as well as Tunks Talk Co-ordinator from 2005 to 2009 and again in 2014 to 2018. Ron continued in the role of TT Co-ordinator until the end of 2023 when his long battle with illness prevented his return to the editor’s desk.
Ron also managed the Archivist role from 2010 to 2013 and was Membership Convenor from 2014 onwards. As Committee Member Gaye White, who attended Ron’s funeral in Goulburn on 11 March 2024, expressed :
“[Ron’s] absence leaves a palpable void in our circle. [His] commitment and enthusiasm towards the Tunks Descendants Association was remarkable. His tireless efforts in updating and printing the family tree and editing the newsletter over the years were truly commendable.”
Ron was a regular attendee of the Southern Highlands Chapter of the Fellowship of First Fleeters, a proud descendant of William Tunks and Sarah Lyons, a man of many interests and a true gentleman.
Ron’s wife Mavis served as Treasurer of TDAI from 2005 to 2018 and ably managed the placing of plaques on many important sites connected to Tunks family history.
Ron and Mavis were awarded Life Membership of the Tunks Descendants Association on 26 March 2019 in recognition of their dedication and service over many years.
