Life Membership

Honorary Life membership is the highest honour which U3A Melbourne City bestows upon a member for service to the organization.   To be eligible, members must have rendered sustained and conspicuous distinguished voluntary service over a period of at least ten years.  A nomination form for life membership can be downloaded below. More information about our honorary life members is available below.

• Nan Wingfield
  Awarded: 2006
  The University of the Third Age was introduced to Australia at a public meeting in 1984 at the Council of Adult Education. Nan Wingfield was one of the original members and a member of the Steering Committee, which guided the University of the Third Age through its first year of operation. Nan became the first President and was a member of the Committee for her entire time with U3A. In addition to attending many classes herself, she was active in organising forums with guest speakers, theatre parties and much publicity. As Office Manager she coped cheerfully with organising volunteer office workers, communicating with many people on a daily basis. Nan has the respect of all in the U3A community of seniors. She was pivotal in turning 'good ideas' into reality. In spite of ill health she remains vitally interested in U3A, saying that she has gained much from participation and also from giving back to the organisation. Nan has made an outstanding contribution to U3A City. She is a person of many fine qualities held in high esteem by all.
   
• John Cramp
  Awarded: 2007
  John was a long-time member of the Shakespeare class which he retired from in 2007 due to ill heath.   Throughout the course he participated enthusiastically in all discussions.   He was a real stalwart, bringing to bear his wide-ranging interests, his encyclopedic reading and his dry sense of humour to every class he attended. 
  John began his association with Elizabethan theatre shortly after WW2 and has been a member of an earlier U3A Shakespeare class.   He has also been a participant in music classes and tutored a course in Wagner. 
   
• Marie Einoder
  Awarded: 2007
  Marie was a founding member of U3A City.  She joined the French class at its start, was joint tutor from 1991 and sole tutor for 13 years from 1993.  In all this time she rarely missed a class.  Her classes were prepared meticulously to a very high standard.  She encouraged contributions from class members to a degree standard.  The variety and quality of her classes were second-to-none. The class still continues thanks to her inspiration and the love of France and the French language which she encouraged.
   
• Lillian Emmanuel
  Awarded: 2008
  Lillian became a member of U3A City in 1983. As tutor she taught Raja Yoga for 17 years and was always popular with her students. Her lessons were the highlight of their week and changed the way they thought about life. She also had a special interest in the sight impaired and for 14 years read for them on radio.
  In 2004, an award was bestowed on her by the City of Melbourne, presented by Mayor John So at a special ceremony at the Town Hall. Lillian was for some time Commissioner for Girl Guides in Singapore and will be visiting there soon.  She loves her small garden, reading, music and the arts and has a large circle of friends.
   
• Alan Liubinas
  Awarded: 2008
  When Alan Liubinas migrated from his native Lithuania after WWII, the concept of U3A had not yet been born. By the time Alan retired from a lifetime career as a communications engineer, the City U3A was well established.  At the suggestion of his wife Ale, who was already an active member, Alan joined up. Little was he to know that here yet another 'career' awaited him. Economics, Philosophy, and History of the World attracted his attention. Alan enjoyed attending and learning from and with his fellow members. As he says, "You have to keep the grey matter active". With his bright personality and active mind, it was inevitable that Alan would become a volunteer. First as a tutor, sharing his travel experiences with fellow members, and then progressing onto the committee. Some ten years ago Alan was put in charge of the purse strings as Treasurer, resigning in 2008. Our sound financial position today is in no small way due to his commitment.
   
• Margaret Shilton
  Awarded: 2008
  Margaret Shilton was born in Buxton, Derbyshire and came to Australia in 1955. She qualified as a teacher and later gained a graduate Diploma in Music Education. She enjoyed a long career teaching in schools in Melbourne, and sang in many musical productions with some of the best amateur companies. Margaret founded the first U3A choir in Victoria twenty years ago, and has been unstinting in her work with choir ever since. She is inspiring and supportive to the members, who enjoy the pleasure of singing well under her guidance and performing for the enjoyment of others in the community.
  Margaret’s special interest is her work for Vision Australia as a music reader; her reading of musical scores is transcribed onto computer in Braille.
   
• Joyce Bromage
  Awarded: 2008
  Joyce Bromage, a stalwart member of U3A City, was born in Isleworth, England, married there and had two daughters. The family lived and worked in South Africa for four years, returning to UK before coming to Australia in 1964. Joyce worked part-time at the College of the Arts in Melbourne. She loves music, gardening and reading, mostly thrillers and spy novels. She has a miniature Schnauzer, enjoys walking and has always loved to travel. At present she’s learning to play Mahjong.
  After joining U3A City in 1987, Joyce became an office volunteer.  She served on the Committee from 1989 to 2008, with stints as both Treasurer (1981 to 1993) and Secretary (1994 to 2000).

• Val Pincus