A chronology for John Joseph Ray

My bio is rather unsystematic so I give hereunder the actual dates (in order) of some things in my life. Some dates are approximated


The beach at Etty Bay outside Innisfail where I experienced many school and church picnics during my childfhood

1943 Born in Innisfail hospital by the Johnstone river

1944 Baptised into the Presbyterian church

1947 Aged 4 with sister Jacqueline Margaret Ray

Her mother dressed Jackie is an impeccably feminine way

1953 Completed grade 4 at Innisfail State Rural School


1956 Enrolled at Sheridan st primary school in Cairns (part of the High School)

1957 Passed the "Scholarship" (Final primary school) exam with overall mark of 79.7% -- December

1959 Passed the Junior exam with As in English, German and geography

1960 Became a junior clerk at the Dept. of Public Works, Cairns -- 26 Feb.

1961 Resigned from the PWD -- 28 Nov

1962 Got a job as a shop assistant at Gearco in George St Brisbane

1963 Passed the Senior exam with As in English & German

1963 Became a communicant at Ann St church


1963 Met my first girlfriend -- Janet


1964 Enrolled in B.A. at U.Q. (part time initially)

1964 Joined Dept. of Customs & Excise -- 25 May

1964 13th Dec. Obtained a reference from Rev. Percy Pearson of the Ann St. church. The text of the reference is here

1966 Resigned from Customs -- 22 March

1966 Enlisted in the CMF in Bris. -- 6 May


1967 December. Wrote my first computer program in FORTRAN. Instructor Gail Sonnkila.

Gail and the computer we used

1968 Lived with Joyce Hooper at Rozelle


1968 Granted B.A.


Holding the selected works of Ivan Petrovich Pavlov

1968 Discharged from the Army as Sergeant in Sydney 31 August


1969 Met Nola Holland nee Boyle


1969 Rented a terrace house in Wentworth Pk. Rd., Glebe, in Sydney. Joined by John Henningham and Alfred Croucher

1969 Granted M.A. by Uni Syd. -- 23 Sept.


1969 Enrolled in Ph.D. at Macquarie Uni -- March

1970 Teaching at Cerdon college


1971 Became a lecturer in Sociology at Uni NSW

1973 Married Dawn Nola Baker, nee Jones -- 9 Feb


1974 Awarded a Doctorate of Philosophy by Macquarie Uni -- 16 May. My age 31


1974 My book "Conservatism as heresy" published


1975 Accepted as a member of the American Psychological association -- Jan. 30

1976 Decree nisi for marriage to Dawn -- 29 Apr.

1976 Marriage to Joyce Lipp (aka Joy Petrie) --15 May. My age 33

At Peregian beach on honeymoon with Joy. She had a remrkable waist for a lady in her 40s

1977 Sabbatical in Britain. Joined the British Conservative party in March. Visited Glyndebourne with Susan Brooks

1978 Did a survey in South Africa


1980. A brief clean shaven interlude -- with a lovely lady, 2nd wife Joy. I was aged 37

1983 Resigned from Uni NSW -- Feb

1983 Met Jenny Lucas 5 Mar. My age 39


1984 Joined the National party, Qld. -- 12 March

1985 Decree nisi for marriage to Joyce Lipp

1985 Bought a Jade Green Ford Laser for $7,000 from Jubilee Motors, Fivedock in Sydney -- 25 Feb.

1985 Married Jenny Lucas -- 30 Nov.

1987 Son Joseph born. My age 44

1990 I buy an Amiga computer


1992 Jenny left me. Moved to Deshon st.

1993 on 21st May I met Carol Averil Ward (nee Lowry) for a relationship that lasted 2 years, but with lots of ups and downs


1995 Decree nisi for marriage to Jenny -- 3 Apr.

1995 Met Kathryn Perry -- 3 September

1995 Married Kathryn Margaret Perry nee Dickinson -- 10 Nov. My age 52


1995 Bought a Daihatsu Charade


1996 First took out Jill Hillman-Marks, nee Tate -- 8 Feb. My age 53


1998 Son Joseph Baptised into RC church by Father Brady of the Little Kings

1998 Decree nisi for marriage to Kathryn Perry

2000 Met Geraldine Trivett. Details in para.rtf


2001 4th.Sept. Started relationship with Judith Burgess nee Middleton.

Judy at Etty Bay wearing my Panama

2001 Concurrent relationship with Judy Power nee Newman. Age 58

2004 Son Joe graduates from Senior at Clairvaux High School (November 20)

2004 Vacation in the Far North with Judy Burgess nee Midleton

2005 Broke up with Judy and met Met Anne Foss nee Rampton next day -- Sept. 1


2006 Acquired a 1963 Humber Super Snipe


2007 Son Joe graduates from UQ with B.Sc. my age 64

2008 My Toyota Echo stolen but recovered after a little while

2009 My sister Jack (Jacqueline Margaret Ray aka Ward) died of the family illness -- breast cancer

2010 Cataract surgery in one eye

2010 Joe goes to ANU on a Ph.D. mathematics scholarship

2011 September 16. I help Renee Eaves financially to prosecute a crooked cop. She wins.

Renee

2011 The Brisbane floods. I was only indirectly affected as I live on the side of a hill in a generally relevated asrea

2012 I acquire a 1997 Toyota Starlet for $1,000 from Anne


2012 Admitted to Wesley hospital with kidney stone. On operating table within hours. -- May 2.

2013. I turn 70

As I was

2013 (November) Saved by Vancomycin from nasty Staphylococcus Aureus infection on my face

2014 (early Nov) Joe moves back from ANU and lives with me. My age 71

2014 (November 27) We had the mother and father of a hailstorm with quite a lot of the hail being bigger than golfballs. We lost power after a few minutes. Kate was present.

2015 Joe's GF Kate moved in to our place (July)

2015 (Dec 1) Severe diverticulitis, Fixed with antibiotics

2016 (30/08) Breakup with Anne -- followed by a reunion 3 weeks later. My age 73

2017 (May 28) My mental twin Chris Brand passed away

2018 (November 25) Son Joe marries Kate. My age 75



Anne and I at the wedding

2019 (July) Diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. Inoperable but treatable.

2019 (August) Big cancer surgery to remove sub-maxillary SCC. Emily Perry operating. Post-operative debilitation.

2020 (Feb 1) Joe completes his move to his new house. My age 76

2020 (Mar 2) 2nd ENT procedure. Remove SCC invaded lymph gland in neck. Chris Perry operating.

2020 (late March) Anne acquires a new bloke but remains friendly towards me. My age 76

2020 May. Radiotherapy on my neck. Notable for resultant pain

As I was in August 2020


2021 Feb. 1st. I become part-owner of a Toyota Prado (Half-share with Anne)


2021 March. Anne has a mild stroke and I am disgnosed with advanced stomach cancer. Not a good month

2021 10th June. I begin immunotherapy for my stomach cancer

2021 August 22nd. My oncologist advises me that I am in complete remission from my stomach cancer. The immunotherapy cost me $19,000 but it worked. It took only 9 weeks to wipe out the cancer. The preparation I got was Keytruda.

2021 September 25. Anne as she was


2021 I meet Zora Hughey nee Mikhailovich on the last day of the year. We met over lunch at my favourite coffee lounge on New Year's Eve. She is an intellectual Serb and identifies strongly with Serbia. See her below



2022 March 2. The Brisbane floods. I live with Zora at my place for 4 days


Zora beside the flooded Brisbane river at Kangaroo Point

2022 March 18th. I break my ankle when I fell down my front steps

2022 -- 18 April. I fall off a stool in a cafe and crack a rib, leaving me in a lot of pain