Val Lembit was a former President of the NSW Combined High School Sport Association (one of the most recognised and envied school sport associations world wide). The trophy for the most outstanding male sport representative at the annual CHS Blues night is named after Val.

Valdek Jack Lembit, always known as Val was born in Parnu Estonia a few hundred metres from the Baltic Sea.  The family came to Australia by boat in 1926 and lived in the Rozelle and Drummoyne areas where Val went to school.  He was always very proud of the fact that he skipped a year in primary school and went on to attend Fort Street High School.  He attained his leaving certificate at the age of 15.

Val intended studying Engineering but was too young when he started uni so studied Arts, majoring in French and German.  After two years at university he joined the army and fought in World War II.  He was a member of the elite Z Special Force commandos serving in New Guinea and Borneo (behind enemy lines). He never spoke much about this except to talk about driving jeeps backwards up hills and burying coconuts to make tropical moonshine.

At the conclusion of the war Val returned to Sydney University and Sydney Teachers College where he continued his studies and was the editor of “Drylight” the college magazine. Val became a language teacher in French, Latin and German.

Val Lembit’s first appointment was at Yanco Agricultural High School.  He taught at several country high schools namely Leeton, Armidale and Broken Hill.  When teaching in Broken Hill,  Val met Phyll Clancy who was to become his wife in 1956.  They celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 2006.

After Val and Phyll were married they settled in Sydney – firstly in Ashfield, then Croydon and finally retiring in Leichhardt.  Their four children Roger, Murray, Gary and Diane were born in Sydney.  In this period of time Val taught at Canterbury BHS, Punchbowl BHS and Birrong BHS. He was appointed Principal at St Mary’s HS in 1971 and subsequently Principal at Ashfield BHS before becoming principal of his “alma mater” Fort Street HS in 1980 – a lifelong ambition.

One of Val’s special interests was sport.  Val coached many sporting teams including Rugby Union, Diving and Athletics.  Val believed passionately in public education and gave very generously of his time to school, zone, regional and state sporting activities.

Val was president of the old Central Metropolitan Region SSA for numerous years.  In 1975 he became a vice president of NSWCHS and then went on to hold the position of President from 1976 until his retirement in 1983.

In 1993,  The President’s Award for the most outstanding NSWCHS Male athlete of the year was dedicated and renamed The Val Lembit Award in recognition of Val’s contribution to school sport.  Val was loved by many of his students and teachers and not only the teachers from the schools where he taught.  Val touched the lives of so many people in the education system.  The number one male award for Sport now in Val’s name is just one acclamation of the man and the high regard in which he his held by all those in school sport.

Not only did Val devote himself to his career he also enjoyed life to the full.  He was a man of many surprises.

One of Val’s favourite pastimes was fishing.  He tried to pass this interest on to his children. They would throw out the hand lines and then Val would spend most of the trip untangling them or though he would manage somehow to catch a few fish even with this distraction.  As the years went on the family would leave before dawn and make the trek down to Langy’s, more often than not slipping on the dew and sliding past the goats on their bottoms.  Val would row out to his special spot and everyone would try to catch what they could.  They’d come back in with the wet Hessian bag and Val would have to buy everyone the obligatory Paddle Pop for breakfast.  Val would stand their joining in the fun, in his old blue boiler suit, eating along with the kids.

Val had an artistic flair.  He started with his macramé phase and went on to making tapestries for the home, his children and special ones for the grandchildren. For many years it was the staple part of his afternoon and for those who would start one and not have the wherewithal to finish, Val would always offer to complete this task.  At least 17 of his masterpieces can be found in his home.

Val also loved crosswords.  Every day Val would be perched in his favourite chair doing a crossword.  Val came fifth in the National Crossword Competition.  Even on the day he died he was doing the Herald Crossword.  The house is full of coffee cups and pens he has won from these endeavours.

Val’s involvement with NSWCHS continued after his retirement.  He volunteered to engrave all the sporting medals for the association.  Over the years he would have engraved literally thousands of medals only relinquishing this task last year.  Val kept in touch with many of his colleagues and always came to the annual Blues night in December. 

Val believed in education and was a voracious reader. He loved book clubs and those part by part publications that come with pamphlet boxes or ring back folders.  There were some weeks when he would bring home piles of these almost a 30 centimetres high.

Val was into gastronomic pleasures – good food and fine wine and many of his colleagues enjoyed a glass of red and a yarn with him over the years.  He also had a sweet tooth and the best lolly jar in town.

Val was a man of great kindness and enormous loyalty.  He showed great love and care for everyone around him.  Val valued people.  He encouraged, praised and gave honest opinions.  You could argue with him, joke with him and have a good laugh. He made friends everywhere he went, with people from all walks of life. He was a true thinker and a great intellect.

Val was lucid and brilliant and intelligent right up to the end. Even in his last days in hospital when he received a bill for the subscription to the Retired Teachers Association he paid up for 2 years. Perhaps he is owed a refund?  He was young at heart and although a quiet person could be the life of the party with his quick wit.  He had charisma and the knack of making people feel very special.  He will always be in the hearts of all those who knew him. Val was a character, unique, memorable and impossible to forget.  Val you had so much to teach everybody and you did this with incomparable flair.

NSWCHS will remember you Val Lembit with the deepest fondness and the highest regard.  You will always be in our hearts.