Margaret (June) Armstrong

  General Notes:

Mabel married Roderick, a pilot in the First World War with the Australian Flying Corp. Dad brought Mom back to Australia as a war bride after their marriage in 1918. They had 2 sons: Roderick John in 1919 and Oswald Raymond in 1921. They returned to England in 1923 where they had a daughter Phyllis Geraldine (Peggy) in 1924 then in 1932 came there big surprise when I arrived, Margaret June.
Both Rod and Ray served in the RAF during the war. Rod spending 3 years in Stalog Luft III prisoner of war camp. After the War, 1949, Mom, Dad, Ray, Peggy and June (me) came to Australia to visit Dad’s family. Rod stayed in England as a test pilot. We all liked it here and decided to stay. Mom and I returned to England to sell up the family home and possessions - found we couldn’t do it! So begged Daddy to change his mind about staying in Australia. After a great sigh of exasperation Dad said we had to come back to Australia to sell the house here, then we would go back to England. Rod by the way married in 1951 - Marjorie Myer from Fakonham in Norfolk.
Anyway Mummy and I dutifully returned to Australia, sold the house, packed up and on May 1952 we sailed back to England on the “Strathmore”. That is where the plot thickens! .... on board ship were the Australian Olympic Smimming Team en route to the Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952 in Finland and guess who fell madly in love with one of them? ? ME!! His name James Ian O’Doughtery and after the games he returned to Australia but in July 1953 he came back to England and we were married. We have two children: Roderick James born 1956 and Susan Gayle born 1960. Rod married in 1977 .. Mearyn Gayle Barker and they have a daughter Marisa Gail born 14 February 1985. Susan who is now Susan Woodman has a daughter Micah Lee born 11 November 1982.
My brother Rod and his wife had two children: Frances Marjorie - 1952 and Steven Charles - 1953. Frances is married to Nicholas Lewis and they have two daughters: Victoria - 1977 and Elizabeth - 1979. Steven married Anne in 1979 and they have two sons: Jamie - 1982 and Thomas 1985. Rod’s wife died in 1970 and he remarried Anna Reynold Jones - 1972.
My other brother Ray and sister Peggy have never married. Ray has a house near me and we had a SC apartment built in our home for Peggy.
My husband Jim and I are both swimming coaches. We own a sports complex here in Dandenong, Victoria and we employ a staff of teachers but we coach the competitive swimmers ourselves. We have had modest successes with five Olympians and three Commonwealth Games representatives who have won numerous gold, silver and bronze medals.

Margaret married James Ian (Jim) O’Doherty in 1953 in England UK. (James Ian (Jim) O’Doherty was born on 28 Aug 1929 in Hawthorn, Melbourne, Victoria Australia, died on 19 Oct 1997 in Dandenong, Victoria Australia and was buried on 24 Oct 1997.)