Joe passed away peacefully at the Valley Private Hospital on 26 June 2009 (aged 88), after suffering from acute emphysema for several years.

 

A memorial service will be held at the Glen Waverly Uniting Church on Friday, 3rd July at

11.00am.   The family has requested no flowers, and any donations to the Australian Lung Foundation.

 

Joe joined CSIR (as it was then) in 1937 as a junior lab assistant at the Division of Forest Products in Yarra Bank Road, South Melbourne and retired as a Senior Scientist in 1980 at the Division of Building Products at Highett after 43 years' service. His starting salary was 35/- (shillings) per week ($3.50 in today's money). He later gained a Diploma in Civil Engineering at RMIT and was granted a Masters of Forest Science by thesis at Melbourne University. His early work during the War years related to developing Australian timbers, and plywoods in particular, to build the all-wooden Mosquito bombers. Extra staff were employed at the time to meet the extra workload, including some young women - which according to Joe, "caused much excitement amongst the males". One of these young women was Win Noble, who later married Joe in 1943. After the War, his work was focused on the use of Australian timbers in building construction, including laminated beams, roof trusses, nailed timber joints, etc, and he published several pieces of research in the area of timber jointing. After retiring from CSIRO, Joe maintained a strong interest in the work of his Division and the timber industry in general, editing the Wood Digest, providing consulting advice, and re-working his research calculations.

 

Joe is survived by his wife of 65 years, Win Mack, eldest son Ronald (who joined CSIRO in 2008 in the SME Engagement Team), daughters Wendy and Lesley and younger son, Graeme.  Amongst his 13 grandchildren, Fiona Henderson also works for CSIRO in the CLW Communications Team at St Lucia, Queensland.