Mr Tom Classen BEST

   FamilySearch ID: LBD6-96W.

  General Notes:

Tom was born in 1921 and attended Pulteney Grammar School and St Peters College. He was 18 at the outbreak of WW2 and joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) training as a pilot. He was ultimately posted to the UK as a flying instructor on twin engine planes training the pilots for Bomber Command.

At the end of the war he declined offers from Ansett and TAA and went into business opening the first supermarket in South Australia. He married Marjorie in 1956 and they had four children. Tom remained in business throughout his working life. He was also a gifted pianist.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Tom in St Peters Boys Uniform: Tom as a teenager showing his early love tennis which endured throughout his life, Abt 1937, St Peters College Adelaide, South Australia.

2. Tom and friends Anzac Day about 1947, Abt 1947.

3. Tom and mother Edith: Tom and Edith out and about in Adelaide, Abt 1950.

4. Tom and friends at Parafield about 1952, Abt 1952, Parafield Airport, Adelaide, South Australia.

5. Eulogy given at the funeral by eldest son Frank on 28 October 2004, 2004.

Tom Classen Best

9 May 1921 - 23 October 2004

Good morning family and friends and thank you for joining us today to farewell Tom but also to celebrate his life. I guess when members of your direct family hit the 80 year old mark you begin to reflect on their life and become more aware of the fact that they will not be around forever. This may lessen the shock somewhat but of course when the person has been so loved and respected by all of the family it does not lessen the pain a great deal. So I would ask you indulgence while we reflect on some of the highlights of Tom's life. There are many stories to tell from a life of 83 years but you can relax I will not attempt to relate them all to you.

Tom was born in Adelaide on the 9th of May 1921 the only child of Frank and Edith Best. As a boy he lived in Glenunga Avenue and in these early years was a choir boy at the local church. A story that he liked to relate was that he was supposed to be walking himself to choir practise but used to sneak his scooter out of the property and ride that - as boys do. There was no concept of a battery-operated light in those days so he had to rig a lantern to the front of the scooter for the journey home. He stated that his parents never found out about this but I would like to say to all the children in the congregation - don't kid yourself we know what you get up to!!

His schooling was at Glen Osmond Primary and then Pulteney Grammar and St Peter's Boys. So an early claim to fame was that he had not one but two old school ties. They say that to have a long and rewarding life you need to have a passion for something and now we come to the first great passion in Tom's life. I am referring to here his enduring love of music. Even from a young age Tom was a notable pianist and by the age of 15 had played in the Adelaide Town Hall to a full house.

Tom was 18 years old when the Second World War broke out and working at Goldsborough Mort. He continued on with the company for a couple of years but as the war went on he felt compelled to contribute and joined the RAAF in 1941. This was a surprise to many because his father was a career soldier and Colonel in the Army. He had, however, realised that Tom wanted to become a pilot and so wished him all the best. So we now come to the second great passion in Tom's life - the love of flying. He was a natural pilot, graduating from flying school at the top of his class and was consequently posted to Scotland as a Flying Instructor. One of the highlights of his time overseas that he liked to relate actually happened on the way over. They went via the United States and while in Philadelphia he was invited to have dinner at the Von Trapp Family household and after a fine meal was entertained by the children's singing.

When Tom returned from the war he was offered and could easily have taken a job with one of the airlines. Unfortunately his mother was very nervous about the whole concept of flying so he virtually gave it up until after she had passed away in 1952. He then continued to fly for a time out at Parafield and a notable entry in his log is when he took my Grandmother, Vera for her first flight along with a pregnant Midge. Vera in her sixties at the time had never flown in her life but, as a very trusting Mother in Law, she agreed to go up. It appears she enjoyed the experience because in her later years she quite often flew - mainly interstate to see family.

Now we come to the other secret to a long and happy life and that is to meet the love of your life. Tom was married to Marjorie on the 14th of April 1956 and their love for each other has endured many of life's usual ups and downs. Mum had come from a relatively large family and you must remember that this was baby boomer time. They produced four children from four separate pregnancies in four and a half years - I would suggest a rare feat by today's standards. Mum was keen to continue but a hold was put on any more babies in the Best household after Peter screamed his head off for most of the first two years of his life. Consequently Tom's fifth child was a baby grand piano named Steinway. I have vivid early memories of sing alongs around that piano with mum and the other kids. These were no ordinary sing alongs because apart form the old favourites we could simply request any popular song by singing a few notes and dad would just pick it up and play. We would then often request our favourite pieces of classical music. Dad could literally make that piano sing and while playing he would give us demonstrations of musical expression such as piannisimo, crescendo and our favourite fortissimo.

When reflecting on Dad's life my overall impression of him is of a loving, kind and compassionate person - one of natures gentlemen. I know I speak for the rest of my immediate family when stating that we were truly blessed to have such a person as our father and spouse. I was thinking back and remembered a couple of sayings passed down from his mother that he used to recite when we were children. No doubt many of you have heard them but I would like to share them with you as I believe they epitomise the man. The first was "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" and the second was "Everything has it's place and everything in it's place". I must admit that as kids the second was not all that popular particularly in relation to keeping our rooms tidy but I cannot help but think how relevant these sayings remain today.

Apart from his war service I would like to conclude by relating some of Tom's notable achievements. He opened the first supermarket in South Australia, which included a petrol station on the site. This was of course well ahead of its time in the late 1950s and it would be at least another thirty years before the concept of a discount petrol voucher associated with a supermarket came into vogue. He was a member of the lodge in South Australia and was president of the Burnside Branch of the RSL for two years. He was a very dedicated Christian and was a warden of St Peter's Cathedral and Secretary of the Cathedral Council for a period of thirty years. For this service he was presented with a citation by the Dean, which read "Awarded with gratitude to Tom Best for many years loyal Warden of the Cathedral, staunch supporter of Bishops, Vicars and Deans."

Tom has lived a rich and full life and we will all miss him a great deal, but I know that he would want us to remember the many happy times we shared together confident in the knowledge that he is resting in peace.

Rest in Peace Tom

Tom married Ms Marjorie (Midge) Leslie RUSSELL, daughter of Mr Frank Leslie RUSSELL and Ms Vera Clare HENDERSON, on 14 Apr 1956 in St Andrews, Walkerville, Adelaide, South Australia. (Ms Marjorie (Midge) Leslie RUSSELL was born on 27 Oct 1922 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and died on 8 Jan 2021 in Adelaide, South Australia.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

1. Marriage Banns: Tom and Midge Best, 14 Apr 1956, St Andrews, Walkerville, Adelaide, South Australia.