Tom Hehir | ANZ Clergy


About Help Contact login Rev Tom Hehir SJ Title: Rev First Name: Thomas Middle Names: Preferred Name: Tom Surname: Hehir Order: SJ Date of Birth: 04-Dec-1892 Place of Birth: Richmond, Melbourne VIC Country of Birth: Australia Date of Ordination: Place of Ordination: Country of Ordination: Ordination Diocese: Seminary: Date of Death: 13-Feb-1955 Place of Death: Sydney NSW Country of Death: Australia Date of Burial: 1955 Place of Burial: Gore Hill NSW Country of Burial: Australia Find A Grave URL: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/300538494 FindaGrave - Person Photo FindaGrave - Grave Photo Biographical Notes Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017: Hehir, Thomas Teacher; born Richmond, Melbourne, 4 December 1892; died Sydney, 13 February 1955, aged 62. Tom Hehir, elder brother to Noel, was a cheerful youth; always full of life and well to the fore when anything was being done. He was good at football and cricket, and educated at Xavier College. He studied law after he left school, and surprised his friends when he decided to enter the Society at Tullamore College, 7 December 1912. He later gained a BA degree at the National University of Ireland in classics, studied philosophy at Jersey, 1918-21, and did regency at Belvedere College, 1921-22, before theology at Ore Place, Hastings. Tertianship was at Paray-le-Monial, France. Hehir returned to Australia in 1927 and was on the staff of Xavier College for one year before going to St Aloysius' College, Milson's Point, to take up duty as prefect of studies, a post that he held for eight years. He is remembered for being efficient and capable. The wayward quailed at the thought of an interview with him, but the student found him most stimulating and inspiring. He had wide interests; was a voracious but selective reader with a most retentive memory. In 1936 he was transferred to Riverview; but in 1937 he was back at St Aloysius' College for one year. The years 1938-39 were again spent teaching and as debating master at Riverview, but he returned again to St Aloysius' College in 1940 to take his brother Noel's place as rector. Sickness and the anxiety and worry of the war years caused him to age rapidly and he was a tired man when he was relieved of his burden in 1944. He gradually recovered to the extent that he was able once again to take the field as a football coach. The best years of his life were spent at St Aloysius' College - he loved every stone of the place and he spent most of his holidays doing jobs in and around the school. He was interested in the senior students and enjoyed meeting Old Boys. Many of his former students, however, found him a very hard man, most severe in his manner and mode of disciplining. Most were scared of him, especially in his latter years. For three years previous to his death he was deputy chairman of the New South Wales Catholic Secondary Teachers Association; he had most to do with the revision of the constitution of that body. He was also the Catholic representative on the English syllabus committee for ten years. He was a small man who worked hard and was steady and reliable. He was devoted to his younger brother, Noel, and after his death, Tom seemed to lose his own grip on life. (Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)

Title:

Rev

First Name:

Thomas

Middle Names:

Preferred Name:

Tom

Surname:

Hehir

Order:

Date of Birth:

04-Dec-1892

Place of Birth:

Richmond, Melbourne VIC

Country of Birth:

Australia

Date of Ordination:

Place of Ordination:

Country of Ordination:

Ordination Diocese:

Seminary:

Date of Death:

13-Feb-1955

Place of Death:

Sydney NSW

Country of Death:

Australia

Date of Burial:

1955

Place of Burial:

Gore Hill NSW

Country of Burial:

Australia

Find A Grave URL:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/300538494

FindaGrave - Person Photo

FindaGrave - Grave Photo

Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
Hehir, Thomas

Teacher; born Richmond, Melbourne, 4 December 1892; died Sydney, 13 February 1955, aged 62.

Tom Hehir, elder brother to Noel, was a cheerful youth; always full of life and well to the fore when anything was being done. He was good at football and cricket, and educated at Xavier College. He studied law after he left school, and surprised his friends when he decided to enter the Society at Tullamore College, 7 December 1912. He later gained a BA degree at the National University of Ireland in classics, studied philosophy at Jersey, 1918-21, and did regency at Belvedere College, 1921-22, before theology at Ore Place, Hastings. Tertianship was at Paray-le-Monial, France.

Hehir returned to Australia in 1927 and was on the staff of Xavier College for one year before going to St Aloysius' College, Milson's Point, to take up duty as prefect of studies, a post that he held for eight years. He is remembered for being efficient and capable. The wayward quailed at the thought of an interview with him, but the student found him most stimulating and inspiring. He had wide interests; was a voracious but selective reader with a most retentive memory.

In 1936 he was transferred to Riverview; but in 1937 he was back at St Aloysius' College for one year. The years 1938-39 were again spent teaching and as debating master at Riverview, but he returned again to St Aloysius' College in 1940 to take his brother Noel's place as rector. Sickness and the anxiety and worry of the war years caused him to age rapidly and he was a tired man when he was relieved of his burden in 1944. He gradually recovered to the extent that he was able once again to take the field as a football coach.

The best years of his life were spent at St Aloysius' College - he loved every stone of the place and he spent most of his holidays doing jobs in and around the school. He was interested in the senior students and enjoyed meeting Old Boys. Many of his former students, however, found him a very hard man, most severe in his manner and mode of disciplining. Most were scared of him, especially in his latter years.

For three years previous to his death he was deputy chairman of the New South Wales Catholic Secondary Teachers Association; he had most to do with the revision of the constitution of that body. He was also the Catholic representative on the English syllabus committee for ten years.

He was a small man who worked hard and was steady and reliable. He was devoted to his younger brother, Noel, and after his death, Tom seemed to lose his own grip on life.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)

Rev Tom Hehir SJ

Biographical Notes