What was it like to have Deaf brothers in one family plus a Deaf cousin in the other part of the family over many years?

What sets them apart is not just their shared Deaf identity, but the extraordinary resilience and strength that this bond has fostered. In 1956, they banded together under the banner of the Waikato Deaf Society Inc., forging their own path after leaving a Deaf School in Auckland, New Zealand. Their names were Leslie, Gordon, Eric, and Allan, and their primary mode of communication was sign language, a testament to their unbreakable connection. Despite the passing of Gordon this week, in the past, Gordon outlived Leslie, Eric and their cousin, a testament to his indomitable spirit and the enduring bond they shared.

Their mothers were the guiding lights in their lives, instilling in them the courage to embrace life to the fullest. They encouraged them to participate in sports and social activities, find employment, maintain friendships from school, and even start families of their own. Lelise married a wonderful woman, Gaynor, and they had a daughter. Eric married Kathryn, and although they didn’t have children, their bond was strong. Allan and Gordon, on the other hand, chose to remain single. They shared a passion for motorbikes, and Gordon’s adventurous spirit took him on journeys across New Zealand. Despite his stint in Australia, Gordon’s heart was always in New Zealand, a testament to the deep bond he shared with his family and friends, especially Leslie and the Deaf community.

What have the researcher/blogger learnt from them, except a little about Allan?
The three brothers had different personalities – stubborn (two brothers), grumpy, moody, swearing, kind, loving cooking, avid gardeners, woodwork crafts, helping each other when making crafts, gardening or building something, budgies and goldfishes hobby, stamp collecting hobby, train model hobby and genealogy. Of course, indoor bowling was the primary sport they loved doing, including Allan. Another conversation led to the researcher/blogger discussing show jumping in the old days. Gordon and Eric recall Hinton through showjumping at the A & P Showgrounds and other places where there were competitions during the events. The researcher/blogger knows the Hinton family, and one of the Hinton family members is married to a great-granduncle. The researcher/blogger lives in the Eureka area, where the Hinton family still lives.

Here is a little about Allan, who came from the UK to New Zealand with his parents in 1925. Allan was much older than his three cousins—about ten to twelve years older than Gordon. Not many Deaf friends talked about Allan, but perhaps the last remaining Deaf members of the Waikato Deaf Society mentioned more about Allan’s life through the Waikato Deaf Society from 1956 to 2004.

In the meantime, the researcher/blogger will do more research and collect more stories from the last surviving Deaf members of the Waikato Deaf Society.