TheHallowian-2021Vol2 - Flipbook - Page 46
Bernice Aboud
“The greatest virtue is love...”
Bernice Malouf was born on August 9, 1922. She
attended All Hallows’ from 1935 to 1939.
Her brother Calile (‘Cal’) recalled that after their mother
almost died giving birth to their sibling Michael, Bernice
insisted that she leave boarding at All Hallows’ and act
as ‘mother’ to the family. According to Cal, Bernice
ruled the house as if it were All Hallows’ School, and
was as strict as the Mercy nuns with her brother and
sisters, who adored her in spite of her dexterity with
the straw broom.
In 1942 when the Japanese were getting perilously
close to Brisbane and the rest of the family evacuated
to relatives in Connabarabran, NSW Bernice stayed on
with her father to keep running the family business,
Marcia Gowns. This was a typical example of her
putting others before herself.
An extraordinary and ‘empowered’ woman, a gracious
and generous hostess, Bernice was comfortable
anywhere and in any company. She was a treasured
friend to many. One such friend is Pauline Burnett
(Long), who Bernice met at All Hallows’ when she
was just 11 years old. They went to the pictures every
Saturday together, contributed to the war effort
together, and together they kept the American soldiers
entertained too.
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The Hallowian | 2021
After Bernice moved to Sydney on her marriage to
Alf Aboud, she and Pauline spoke every Saturday by
phone without fail. They were the best of mates – and
distance made no difference to their lifelong friendship.
A child of the Depression, she had an ingrained respect
for work, resilience, and thrift (although this frugality
did not extend to her collection of Ferragamo shoes!)
Attention to detail in life was everything to Bernice.
“The nuns taught me that” she would say. ‘They taught
me everything”
Bernice was not only matriarch of her family (as her
son Russell said, family was everything) , but also our
All Hallows’ Sydney reunions, which were unfortunately
cancelled due to Covid in 2020 and 2021.
Bernice died in Sydney at the age of 99 years and
3 months. She was, and will be, much loved, much
missed.