Dear Scholty, What a well-lived life you have experienced and how blessed are those of us who were held in your family embrace. Many, many happy memories flood my mind - and I know that Mum and Dad were always grateful to you and the divine Lady M. who filled a void in my life when I left home and moved to Canberra. The night I arrived with Darryl Smeaton and Annie Desmet (well we actually gate-crashed) a party Mary Anne was holding was the start of my great friendship with your children and especially my special friend Maureen - my travelling survivor and great friend; forgiver of many a faux pas on my part. I will never forget your concern for us when we travelled to NZ - with you insisting that we have booked at least three nights' accommodation upon arrival - thank goodness for that because there were about 5000 conferences on in Auckland and we would never have found a "safe" space to land. Maureen and I were so nervous and excited that we couldn't sleep so we got up in the middle of the night and decided to look up phone numbers of all the contacts we had (we never went anywhere unless armed with a million names and addresses attached to the Halsted/Scholtens clans). After arming ourselves with all the details, with the Australian Consulate info (courtesy of you) at Numero Uno place on the phone list we headed back to bed and promptly slept for hours. Upon going to breakfast next morning we two Miss Sophisticates sidled into the dining room and politely asked for a table for two! Upon which we were told that we were in the hands of the Maitre'D and would sit where we were put!! And there we were at a table with a couple who came from Holbrook and he was my Dad's agent there. Maureen and I realised that between her Dad and mine we weren't going to be able to escape anything without everyone back home knowing all about our movements before we had a chance to tell anyone! Long before the days of emails, mobiles, etc. they were the days we wrote home and called home if we were desperate - these days people call home and come home when they are desperate. I had so many wonderful times with you all at Boldrewood Street. I can remember us making our trek home to Canberra from our around-Australia trip just in time for Kathy's 21st Birthday - and the joy you all expressed to us when we arrived safely - and regaled you all with tales of absolute truth of course about our latest adventures. And the time at Maureen's 21st when I became so sick with a thyroid problem and you were all so caring of me and made sure I got back to Sydney safely - I couldn't work out what all the thumping was as I lay in bed thinking I was dying - it was just Scholty throwing beer bottles over his shoulder as he emptied them into the glasses of the party goers. And the times he would answer the phone in such a stern manner - only to hear the voice at the other end and you knew he was happy to hear from you! and when he would tell people he was the gardener because it was easier than listening to drivel and having to take a message; and waking up SO early when he was getting ready to go to Mass. I can still hear his voice and his wonderful chuckle. Life for us all was so happy under the Scholtens wings of you both - you made so many young people feel safe and loved; when so many of us didn't have family in Canberra and were just out of home we knew that we could come to visit our Scholtens friends and that their mum and dad would offer us a meal, a cuppa, a piece of homemade cake or biscuits, and a space at the table in the kitchen where I learnt that if you left butter out on a dish in a cupboard it wouldn't be rock hard and also wouldn't go off - that was the joy of a colder climate and now I leave the butter out summer and winter - such is the climate in Guyra. Please accept the condolences of the whole Halsted family - we are all sad for you in the loss of such a wonderful man; great husband, father, grandfather and friend to so many - but what an extraordinarily wonderful life of goodness, fun, laughter, honour, integrity, intelligence, humility and strength he lived - a fine example to us all. This tribute page is such a wonderful idea - especially for people like me who just don't seem to get to pen and paper but spend a lifetime on a computer. Thank you so much - my love to every single one of you - I know you will miss him everyday and won't ever get used to being without him, but will learn to live differently with your wonderful memories and the love he left behind. With love to you Lady Scholtens, Paul and Irene, Mare and Bill, Maunie and Peter, Kait, Lib, Margie and Mike and your families. And also to Auntie Joan who I know you will all need so much over the next weeks and months.God bless you all and I am SO sorry I can't be there. Chris Hietbrink xoxoxox and all my family. Thank you Sholty for loving us all.