NOEL DOROTHY McCALLUM TUCKER

GOLFER

21-12-1923 - 10-1-2010

NOEL Tucker, who devoted a large part of her life to golf as a champion pennant player and administrator, has died of heart failure at a nursing home in Toorak, aged 86.

Tucker, a stalwart of the Royal Melbourne Golf Club, was one of only three women to have been club champion, captain and president. In later life she also excelled at lawn bowls, winning several club singles and pairs championships

With a best golf handicap of 7, she was a regular winner not only at RMGC but at Barwon Heads and several other clubs. She joined RMGC in 1943, having been introduced to the game of golf, along with her three sisters, by her father Stanley Burston. The club's women's B-grade championship event bears the Burston name.

A pennant player for 20 years, Tucker was club champion in 1962, and in 1979 she won both the statewide Mona Macleod Brooch competition and the women's veterans' championship. Later, she maintained her involvement through caddying, particularly for Naida Hutton.

Elected to the then associates committee, she became captain in 1969-1971, and was president for four years from 1981. She also represented RMGC at the Victorian Ladies Golf Union (now Women's Golf Victoria) for 20 years, including a year as vice-president. She was a qualified referee and life member of RMGC.

The youngest daughter of Dorothy (nee Jowett) and James Stanley Burston, who managed the family malting business from 1913 to 1963, her energy and dedication to her family, friendships and golf were endless and stimulating. Educated at St Catherine's School in Toorak, she spent most of her holidays with her father and close friends on family properties in Queensland, New South Wales and in Victoria's Western District, or in Gippsland. All these sojourns involved riding horses with station hands, tennis and fun with good friends.

Her grandfather, Brigadier James Burston, had managed the family business after his father, Samuel, and he was elected mayor of Melbourne after 13 years of service on the city council. Her grandfather and two uncles, Roy and Gerald, all served at and survived the horrors at Gallipoli.

Noel Tucker, who could be intimidating, good humoured and compassionate, had the ability to empathise with people of all walks of life.

She married Horace Tucker in June 1946 after her father had playfully knocked back his request for her hand on the grounds that there were already too many doctors in the family.

Noel Tucker was introduced to the finer points in golf at age 10 when she stayed with the family at Barwon Heads Golf Club. Too young to eat in the dining room with the members of the golf club, she had to eat with the staff. This led her to accompany the club's professional, Bud Russell, who would walk with her back down the 18th to the 16th tee. With two clubs each, they would play the three holes back, with Russell tutoring her along the way.

Tucker enjoyed her family heritage and displayed great commitment in all her endeavours. Horace died in October 2005, aged 90, and Noel is survived by her sons, David, Gerry and Michael, seven grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and older sister Judy.