Vale Evaldas ‘Val’ Reinke
Many members would not have come into contact with the larger-than-life character that was Val. For those of us that did, our life is the better for it.
The fact that we have a Union at all is in no small part a product of Val’s tenacity and instigation of collective action 40 years ago.
At that time, Val was a relatively young teacher at Sienna College (now Nazareth Catholic College) but he was active within Association of Teachers in Independent Schools (ATiS)—the precursor to IEU(SA). Val was on the Greenhill Rd footpath where ATiS was formed, and he was part of the first executive and one of the 32 ATiS members who applied for the first Award for Independent school teachers.
Val volunteered for the role as our first Treasurer and at that time in his nomination wrote: “… (I) hope to serve your interests, at least for the immediate future”. Little did he know that for the next 35 years he would serve as Treasurer on the ATiS / ANGEE / IEU(SA) Executive.
Many of us were accustomed to Val’s treasurer’s report starting with “Well, we ain’t broke”; something that I recounted with Val when visiting him last year to gather information about our 40-year history and he of course obliged by stating it again for the camera.
But the ‘broke’ quip doesn’t give justice to the work Val did behind the scenes. One example of such work being the purchase of our current office on Currie St. Val was instrumental in making sure that the Union was in a financial position to be able to afford the purchase and own it outright. That foresight laid the foundation for our financial stability.
Val was one of those people who you thought would go on forever. Indeed, I am told he just loved teaching and would have continued if his health hadn’t deteriorated.
Val was also very attuned to where the union was at, and although he could have continued his role on our Executive, he recognised that renewal and new faces in any organisation was vital and so he stepped aside to allow others to be involved.
Val’s funeral service was well attended by past students, unionists, current and former colleagues and was testament to the impact that he had.
Former IEU(SA) Deputy Secretary Louise Firrell was one of 3 speakers who delivered eulogies that celebrated Val’s colourful life, teaching and involvement in the Union.
We fondly remember Val and the legacy that he leaves for your Union.
Tim Oosterbaan
Branch Secretary
