Ashes scattered in ceremony

By Graham Davis

A grieving wife and two grieving daughters, Mrs Mere Hudson with daughters Katya, 17 (left), and Sarah, 14 (right) pay their last respects to CMDR Mark Hudson.

Photo: Phil Barling PACC/NSW

Family members, shipmates and friends said a final farewell to CMDR Mark Hudson the esteemed Hydrographic Office staffer killed earlier this year in the Waterfall train accident south of Sydney.

As he had indicated earlier in his life CMDR Hudson wanted his ashes spread upon the sea.

This happened on Wednesday, December 3 in Hunters Bay and within sight of the RAN’s Hydrographic School at HMAS Penguin where he had graduated from the Hydrographic Specialists’ Course in 1978.

After a moving service on the forecastle of hydrographic survey ship HMAS Leeuwin, the Command Chaplain SCHAP Mark Walbank took CMDR Hudson’s ashes and sprinkled them over the side.

He then invited his family, friends and shipmates to each drop a flower on to the waves.

His widow Mere and their daughters Sarah 14 and Katya 17, his parents Gordon and Glorie dropped their tributes.

Among others to honour him by dropping a flower were his brother-in-law Ilaititia Vuibureta, the Maritime Commander, RADM Raydon Gates, the Australian Hydrographer CAPT Bruce Kafer and the many officers who had served with him, or under him in ships such as Flinders, Moresby, Cook, and Betano.

He completed his 31-year service with the RAN as the Director of Hydrographic Operations but returned to the Wollongong Hydrographic Office in a civilian capacity.

The service aboard Leeuwin concluded with the Lord’s Prayer. The ship’s commanding officer LCDR Tony Withers presented Mrs Mere Hudson and Mr and Mrs Gordon Hudson with charts of Sydney and Middle Harbours.

There was a mark on each of them. It was the spot where CMDR Mark Hudson had been laid to rest.

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