Page 55 - My Memoirs - Max Kurz

the Railway Station at the Edgecliff Centre. Peter had never been in business before as an owner occupier, therefore with my expertise for running businesses and his technology skills we saw it as a good mix.
Peter was hands on working in the business, I was at arm’s length providing management advice. The partnership lasted 12 years; in that time, we moved to larger premises which enabled us to have printing presses for on-site printing. The relationship became tumultuous, Peter was not a business manager which inevitably caused issues. We sold the business to a husband and wife couple.
1995 saw a monumental time in my life with the loss of my very best friend Albert Thomas. It was so sad, this was “Déjà vu” of the loss of my father. Alf died on the 28th April 1995 after a long illness with prostate cancer. I thought I was prepared for it, but I was not. I was at his bedside with my son Wayne when he died, and at that very moment, he had a visit from an old air force mate who heard he was in hospital and wanted to see him, he was too late. Nevertheless, we all sat with Alf and reminisced old times.
Not long after, I suffered an anxiety attack whilst alone in my office plus shingles all associated with anxiety; it was horrendous and lasted about 6 months. I had had this wonderful friendship, the loss of which became all too apparent thereafter, we had owned a boat together for 22 years, unprecedented. I sold the Snowgoose soon after and replaced it with a more modern game fish cruiser, a “Riviera 34” named “The Snowgoose II”. Alf and I shared so many wonderful experiences. He was such a great influence and teacher in my life as well as my son’s. It became apparent later in life as to how much of a pseudo father he was. I was the beneficiary of his estate which included his only asset, his ramshackle home in Watson Street, Bondi.
This was contested by his lady friend with whom he had a long relationship. The matter was finally settled, and I assisted her financially up until her death 5 years later which was what Alf wanted. I used the proceeds of the inheritance to buy the “Snowgoose II” which I owned for 8 years.
1997 saw the fulfilment of a lifelong dream, a safari in Africa. It had been on my bucket list for many years, I planned exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to follow the migration from the northern part of the Tanzania Serengeti to the
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