Redcliffe Peninsula farewells World War II veteran, businessman, historian and gentleman Marle Juster

THE Redcliffe Peninsula will farewell World War II veteran, businessman, historian and gentleman Marle Juster, who died aged 92.

Marle Juster, 92, at the Anzac Day Parade in Brisbane City last year. Picture: Jono Searle

THE Redcliffe Peninsula will farewell World War II veteran, businessman, historian and gentleman Marle Juster on Wednesday.

Mr Juster passed away peacefully on January 2 aged 92. His funeral is at St Mary’s Anglican Church, Redcliffe, on Wednesday, January 11 at 11.30am.

The well-known and respected Peninsula identity will be remembered for his contribution to the business community, service to his country, passion for local history, and gentle and thoughtful nature.

Mr Juster was born in Brisbane in 1924. His grandfather had built a house at Woody Point, so the family visited the Peninsula regularly and finally moved to Redcliffe in 1935.

Mr Juster left school in 1937 to work at Margate Cash and Carry. He gave notice on his 18th birthday and enlisted in the Army, serving from 1942-46 in Dutch New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and New Britain.

When the war ended, he returned to Redcliffe working at Margate Cash and Carry before buying a baker’s business for 250 pound in 1947. He knew nothing about baking but had an eye for opportunities and before too long was expanding his business.

He worked hard and at one stage had five shops on the Peninsula, adopting the name Marle Cake Shops because “I couldn’t call them Juster Cake Shops”.

Mr Juster joined the Redcliffe Peninsula Chamber of Commerce at its first meeting in 1947, and as a member of the Redcliffe Community Hospital Committee worked for many years to raise money for a public hospital in Redcliffe.

He married Janet McAdam in 1949 and had four sons before her death in 1983.

Mr Juster received a Medal in the Order of Australia in 1989 for service to the Pastrycooks’ Association of Queensland.

The life member of History Redcliffe (formerly Redcliffe Historical Society) was passionate about preserving the Peninsula’s past and excited about what the future held for the place he called home for more than 80 years.

Mr Juster is survived by his wife of 32 years Erica, sons John, Neil and Robert and stepchildren Ann, Sam and John.