TONY Quinlivan, a Kooringal Rotarian who founded the Rotary Peace Community movement in Wagga in the 1990s, has died.
Mr Quinlivan, 83, operated Quinlivan’s Menswear on Fitzmaurice Street for close to three decades in addition to his significant involvement in Wagga’s Rotary community.
He was the brainchild of the Rotary Peace Communities program, which started in Wagga in 1992 and has now spread to more than 60 communities in 19 countries.
Former Kooringal Rotary president Ray King said Mr Quinlivan, a man of “very high principles”, had an unwavering devotion to the concept of peace.
“Most of his volunteering carried with it that devotion to a to a cause and this deeply religious person, who had a sense of rightness of the world, I think the idea of peace is something that really grabbed him,” he said.
“Once he had that vision, he stuck with it and believed it was right. There’s no stopping a man like him when he gets a vision like that.”
Mr Quinlivan was born in Yanco and spent his younger years in Leeton. working in retail at a number of clothing stores.
He met his future wife Patricia while working at Richard’s Clothing Store in 1955. They were due to celebrate their 59th wedding anniversary in November.
They moved to Wagga the following year to make a new home for their five children.
Tragically, one of Mr Quinlivan’s daughters, Carlene, died at just 13 from asthma, prompting him to devote much of his life to promoting awareness of the condition.
He founded the Riverina branch of the Asthma Foundation, aiming to ensure no one had to endure the pain he and Patricia had gone through.
Mr Quinlivan was a keen sportsman, getting involved in lawn bowls, athletics and tennis.
“Dad was playing tennis up until only a few months ago – although not as good as he once was, he still could not wait to go and play,” his son, Mark, said.
His biggest accomplishment in the sporting field was carrying the torch for the Sydney Olympics through Wagga when it visited the city.
Mr Quinlivan is survived by his wife Patricia, four children – Shane, Tanya, Katrina and Mark – 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
His funeral will be held at noon on Tuesday at St Bernard’s Catholic Church in Bateman’s Bay.
