Neave's Story

Neave (Joseph) Coory Isaac

Neave, the second eldest son of Tobia and Hala Coory commonly known as Isaac, was born on September 19^th 1895 in Dunedin.  Educated at Christian Brothers School in Dunedin. On leaving school he worked as a Hawker travelling the road with his father and later his brother Hallum.                                                                                               

Neave married Mary Milne at St Joseph's Cathedral, Dunedin, on 6 January 1919. They lived at 36 Hope St Dunedin. Neave died on 6 October 1947 aged 52 years. He is buried in the Southern Cemetery with his mother, father, and his eldest brother Joe.

Glennys Espie, nee Isaac wrote:

After Neave died Mary (who we called auntie Birdie) continued to live at 36 Hope St and care for her father. I remember visiting Auntie Birdie with my mother when I was quite young and, like all Lebanese people, was made a great fuss of. I felt loved and welcomed. As we lived in Mosgiel and didn’t have a car, going to Dunedin was a big adventure. We would have travelled into Dunedin by bus or Train.

Mary was married to my Uncle Neave. (My father Kelly’s 2^nd eldest brother) Uncle Neave was born in 1895 and my father, Kelly, was born in 1916. Neave would be 21 years old when dad was born, he passed away in 1947.

Margaret Joseph, nee Isaac, in her memoirs of relatives wrote:

Uncle Neave, I remember well.  I would sometimes go and stay with Aunty Mary (she was also my Godmother) when Uncle was away on business.  He was also a lovely man but a bundle of nerves, he would walk up and down the kitchen or any other part of the house, he just couldn’t sit still for very long.  I think one of our cousins, Toby Farry, and his two sons inherited this habit as well.  When they visited me they would all walk up and down my lounge – I used to tease them saying they would wear my carpet out. 

Below is an excerpt from Diana Kearn’s (nee Milne) family story on the Cedars of Lebanon website.

“After my grandfather died in February 1965, and my aunt in November 1980 (she did not have any children) I suddenly did not have any more Milne relatives here, apart from my own immediate family. No Milne uncles, aunts or cousins, and I regretted this. I had been closer to my Jiddi and my aunt Mary than to any of my other relations. My widowed grandfather
lived with his daughter after she lost her husband, and their warm and welcoming home had been my second home. Auntie Mary could not have loved Adele, Joey, Johnny and I more if we had been her own children. Her face and Jiddi 's face would light up whenever we walked in. Even now I cannot walk past their dear little house at 36 Hope Street, because they are no longer there.”