Person:Edward Draper (3)

Edward Thomas Draper (aka Ted) was born out of wedlock to Zoe Draper and Edward Benson. Due to Zoe's personal situation, Ted was unable to live with her for much of his youth and he spent many of his childhood years growing up in various foster homes around South Australia. Ted joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1943 and served in the Solomon Islands, New Guinea. He enjoyed much of his time in the Navy and served on the Cerberus, Magnetic, Radova, Madang and Torrens between 13th September, 1943 and July 1946 as a seaman and later as a petty officer. He was noted as being of very good character in his service records. After leaving the navy, he worked as a window dresser and moved to Bendigo where he met his future wife, Joan Crump, at a dance in Bendigo. They married in 1952 and moved to East Bentleigh where they raised three children. Ted worked a sales representative for Heinz from the late 1950s to 1975 when he was forced to retire due to ill health. In his private life, Ted was actively involved in the local scout movement and was a scout leader. On a personal level he was a very likeable and friendly chap. Unfortunately, when he was 47 years of age he suffered a massive stroke due to a myxoma in his aorta. This left him severely disabled with a complete hemiplegia, dysarthria and hemianopia. He remained at home for another five years until progressive strokes left him bedridden and he was admitted to Kingston Centre, Cheltenham, Victoria where he remained until his death at Monash Medical Centre in Clayton.

1. ↑ Certificate of Service, in Royal Australian Navy Reserve.
2. ↑ Alternate Name, in Certificate of Marriage.
3. ↑ Known to his family and friends as "Ted". He used the name Edward Thomas Draper on all official documents.