This article has been provided by Luke Travers.
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Please see It is with some sadness that I report upon the death of Keith Lodge.
Keith was a great of St.Kevin’s College Athletics and the St.Kevin’s Amateur Athletic Club.
In 1943 he was a member of the SKC Premiership Athletics team in the ACC; the sole Athletics Premiership of the school until 2006. He completed his schooling in 1948 and was a competing member for the SKAAC from 1948 until the late 1990’s in both track and field and Cross Country. In 1956 he was among a select group of athletes who were able to train on the MCG athletics track in preparation for the Olympic Games. His best performance as an athlete was a third place in the Victorian 440yards Championships in 1956-57. Later in his running he was a strong runner over distance races from 800m up to 5000m and in Winter events. He was a member of the 1969 SKAAC Cooke-McClelland Shield winning team in the APSOC Cross Country; the team’s first win in this competition and, until 1996, its sole victory.
Keith, along with his brother Alan, were instrumental in the establishment of Cross Country in the SKAAC which until the Club’s admission to the APSOC in 1958 had been non-existent. They were responsible for the establishment of the 16km (then 10 mile) handicap race in and around the College, a race which now bears their name in recognition of their work for both SKAAC and the APSOC.
Keith was President of the APSOC in 1969-70, the first Old Kevinian to be appointed to this position in the organisation. He was a long-time member of the SKAAC committee and President in the 1970’s.
When the APS Old Boy Clubs decided to form APS United Athletic Club in 1980, Keith was the inaugural President of the Club and successfully steered the organisation in those early years.
Keith was a Life Member of both the SKAAC and the APSOCAAC in recognition of his long service as both a competitor and administrator.
For many years, Keith had been the Chief Umpire at the APS Athletics Carnival. He had only recently retired from the position after nearly twenty years.
As an architect, his firm Henderson & Lodge were responsible for several of the College’s building projects in the 80’s and 90’s.
His son and grandson also attended the College and with familial connections to the Lewin family, he was strongly embedded in SKC.
Keith was a great stalwart of SKC, APSOC, APS, and SKAAC activities. He brought a great dignity to all he did.
