Desmond still has a commitment to community in Residential Care

At 98 years of age, Desmond Tellis, a resident at Onkaparinga Lodge Residential Care, looks back on a life defined by a clear sense of duty and contribution.

For Desmond, purpose has always been about more than just personal success; it is about serving the community and doing things well.

Purpose is, “to have a good life and do the right things”, Desmond said.

Desmond moved to Australia with his wife Loyse in 1967, after working for 20 years in India’s defence research and development department.

Starting at the State Library, he quickly made his mark on the Australian information science scene.

His strong sense of purpose led him to the Australian Mineral Foundation, where he helped build what became the best special library in the country.

His work was vital to the industry. He managed the Australian Earth Sciences Information System and worked on a thesaurus that simplified complex indexing from 20,000 words down to 6,000.

For these achievements, he was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Information Sciences in London and the Australian Library and Information Sciences Association.

“I was very lucky to be involved in that sort of work and as luck would have it people are very generous,” he said.

“I’ve come through life being recognised by other people that they saw something that I could do, the only credit I can take is that when I got a job I obviously did it well.”

Desmond’s commitment to others extended far beyond his professional life.

He spent ten years as a parish treasurer and served on finance committees and in choirs.

After moving into McAuley Mews Retirement Living, he became a dedicated member of the Brighton Men’s Shed, which he describes as "extremely good pastoral therapy for men".

Desmond and Loyse also spent time supporting their three children and two grandchildren.

Following the passing of his beloved wife, who lived to be 99, Desmond has found a new rhythm at Onkaparinga Lodge.

His sense of purpose now focuses on maintaining the strong connections he has built over decades with his Probus discussion group and the Knights of Southern Cross.

“My purpose is to live comfortably and take one day at a time,” Desmond explained.

He continues to attend Mass and enjoys regular visits from his family, local church community and other friends.

When the opportunity came up, Desmond also put his hand up to be one of Onkaparinga Lodge’s Resident Representatives.

“God has been good to me and I’ve still got my faculties by the look of it,” he said.

For Desmond, a life well-lived is one where you are engaged in a supportive community.