When Ralph was just 15 years old, his life changed forever. After weeks in hospital and countless tests, he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Adjusting to the diagnosis was a big shift for Ralph and his whole family. From changing his diet and eating on a strict schedule to regularly checking his blood sugar levels and giving himself insulin injections several times a day. It turned his world upside down, but he didn’t let it hold him back from living life to the fullest.
Fast forward 80 years, and Ralph, now 95, has lived a rich, adventurous life full of hard work, travel and family. Ralph recently received the Kellion Victory Medal from Diabetes Australia, recognising 80 years of living with diabetes. Only four people in Australia received the 80-year medal this year. The Kellion medal celebrates people who have lived with type 1 or type 2 diabetes for more than 50 years and onward. Named after Claude Kellion, it honours both personal perseverance and the importance of education and research in diabetes care.
But Ralph’s story isn’t just about managing diabetes - it’s about making the most of life. His daughter Leonie said “He never let his diabetes stop him from doing what he wanted to do”.
Ralph was born and raised in Gulgong, a tiny gold-mining town in New South Wales that once appeared on the old ten-dollar note alongside Henry Lawson. He worked at the local cinema as a teenager, where he operated the film reels, “I didn’t know anything about it, but I just learnt as I went”, he said. Ralph also spent some years helping out with his dad’s trucking business. “I used to drive around all the roads in town before I had a license”, he laughed. “All of the cops knew but didn’t care. When I went in to get my license, the officer just asked me three questions and that was it”.
In his early 20s, Ralph’s family moved to Long Jetty, where he helped build houses with his father and ran a petrol station alongside his brother. Eventually, Ralph made his way to Sydney, where he worked with several well-known companies throughout his career. He made lollies at Lifesavers, brought home free makeup from Helena Rubinstein, and even scored vitamins from Vitaplex. But it was his last job that Ralph loved the most, working as the school maintenance man at Truscott Street Public School in North Ryde, the school where his wife Judy was a teacher. “I did everything from mowing lawns to fixing things around the school", he recalled. “I really enjoyed it”.
Ralph met Judy on a cruise in 1967. They hit it off immediately, married in 1969, and bought a house in Ryde, where they lived together for decades. Retirement brought even more travel with countless cruises around Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and even a memorable trip where they flew to Hawaii and cruised all the way home.
They also went to Europe, the UK, Canada, and Alaska but it’s clear to see that cruises were their favourite type of holiday. Ralph, Judy and their two daughters Leonie and Lisabeth spent most of the school holidays at their holiday house located in Tuross Head on the South Coast, a beloved spot filled with memories.
Ralph was known for being a hands-on handyman. “I used to do a lot of woodwork”, he said. “I was a regular at Nock and Kirby”, which was a hardware shop like Bunnings. Ralph made billy carts for the grandkids, a school desk, and all kinds of toys. Any toys that broke, he would fix them. He even reinforced their school shoes with wooden soles and toe caps to make them last longer. Through it all, Ralph never let his diabetes hold him back. He has lived a life that’s as colourful as it is inspiring. His Kellion Victory Medal is more than a symbol of endurance, it’s a reminder that with the right attitude, anything is possible.
