Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
Doyle, John W

Teacher, educationalist; born Lilydale, Victoria, 28 November 1916; died Northcote, Victoria, 2 December 2006, aged 90.

John Doyle, commonly known as Bede, was a man of considerable knowledge, and whose interests covered a wide range of human enquiry: language and literature, natural sciences, philosophy and theology. He was a man of tradition, who valued the Ratio Studiorum and would have been delighted to see restored the quadrivium for a liberal arts education.

It was this ideal that he lectured scholastics during their formation. It was this tradition that sustained him in his principal life's work in the schools, as teacher, prefect of studies, and province prefect of studies. Intelligent students recognised what he stood for, felt his sympathy and that stimulated their thinking. This was supported by one of his former Riverview students, James Rushton, who said that Doyle was a man 'who projected a dignified and amiable persona, prepared to engage in conversation with awkward adolescents on an equal footing, avoiding condescension and intimidation, and keen to tease out inquiry and encourage investigation in the best of Jesuit pedagogical traditions.'

Doyle was remembered for his translation into English of Adam, the medieval morality play in Anglo-Norman French, produced by the ABC. In his written English he was correct and accurate, deploring poor standards of speech, grammar and writing skills. His linguistic ability came into play during his years in Canberra, 1974-81, when he worked on the staff of the Papal Nuncio. There, too, he was engaged in ecumenical activities.

After ordination in 1948 and tertianship, Doyle was appointed editor of Madonna and promoter of the Sodality of Our Lady. In this work, as in every other work he was asked to undertake, he showed dedication and enthusiasm.

He wrote a number of articles on education, among which were, 'New Schools in a New Society', 'Freedom of Education', and 'Funding the Schools of the '80s'. Yet, while he was province prefect of studies, 1968-71, he believed that the most useful thing he had done was his 'Schools Bulletin', a regular publication that he distributed stimulating ideas about education, especially in schools. The National Library of Australia, Canberra, has a complete set.

As a teacher he worked in every State of Australia, as well as in Canberra and New Zealand. From his first days in the noviciate, Doyle announced his belief to save the world: to learn Esperanto. This was the first of many mystifying oracles with which Doyle was to entertain and challenge for many years to come. He was master of the one-liner, a stickler for form, a man of studied courtesy, a voracious reader and an indefatigable worker.

Doyle was a very private man. His boyhood was quite sheltered, even lonely. His education at one stage was in a one-teacher school, an educational model he would later praise. He received a scholarship to St Colman’s School, while his secondary education was with the Christian Brothers, for whom he had a lifelong esteem and affection, praising their scholarly interests, dedication, and their goal of producing the Christian gentleman. Entering the Society in 1933, aged 16, his formation years were those of the Great Depression. At Watsonia during studies, he was one of a group that established the “Writers’ Club”, which produced learned articles for the Catholic newspapers and even the Australian Catholic Record.

At the University of Melbourne he gained an arts degree majoring in Greek and Latin, with French and mathematics as minor subjects. Regency was at St Louis School, Perth, 1941-44, where he taught physics and chemistry, was assistant prefect of studies, and established a school newspaper. At Riverview, 1952-54, he taught physics, general mathematics and religion, while at St Aloysius’ College, as prefect of studies in 1955, he taught senior French. In Christchurch, at the Holy Name Seminary in 1956, he was again prefect of studies and taught mathematics, sociology, Latin and practical psychology. Doyle was certainly a man with many intellectual talents and interests.

While in Hobart, 1982-91, he became involved with the cause of freeing Lithuania, and was later awarded a medal by its president. He was also dean of studies and chaplain to the Newman Society. He wrote many letters to the press, mainly about education.

There were two other important aspects of his life. The first was his passion for books. He was a true bibliophile. Of importance was the written content, the argument, the thesis of the author, but also the physical production of the book, its design, its look, the feel of it in the reader's hand. He had a specialist's love of type fonts used in printing. While at Riverview as prefect of studies, 1957-67, he would join the dayboys’ bus to Chatswood Station, then the train to the city where he visited second-hand bookshops. He was particularly interested in 'Australiana', and bought many collectors' items cheaply for the student library. The original library was named after him.

After Riverview, Doyle was appointed province prefect of studies, 1968-71 and advisor for secondary education, helping renew the schools’ apostolate in the light of Vatican II and General Congregation 31. Headmastership of Burke Hall followed, 1972-73.

He was also a champion of the voucher system for delivering State Aid to parents for their children's education. He admired the writings of the American Jesuit, Virgil Blum, author of Parent Power. A voucher system, he contended, would be the best corrective to the tidal pull in human affairs towards central control and power, and encourage parents to be engaged in their children's schooling.

Doyle retired to Campion House in 1992, where he was librarian and secretary to the Jesuit Seminary Association. His last three years were with the Little Sisters of the Poor at Northcote, an experience he found difficult because of his shyness. Few of the residents had his intellectual interests, and he found life dull. However, he remained cheerful and grateful for any attention given to him. He died peacefully in his wheelchair shortly after concelebrating Mass.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)