22.08.1954 – 24.05.2026
71 years of numbers, fast cars, family and friends – Ian, or lovingly known as Mr J by his wife of 43 years, Penny, or “Jenks” to many friends.
Ian was father to Sarah and Nicola, father-in-law to Charlie and Alex and a proud grandparent to Roy, Paige, Huey and Milly. Son of Esther and Ted Jenkins, much loved brother to Lydia and David, brother-in-law to Jenny, Jason, Jo, John and Russell and dear son-law to Ken and Annette. Proud Uncle to nine nieces – Bess, Pip, Naomi, Jordan, Maddie, Zoe, Phoebe, Ruby and Venice and important and valued member of the wider McClure and Jenkins families.
Ian was happiest at his home in Flinders with his family or at work with his dedicated team and loyal clients. Ian devoted more than 50 years to his profession as a Chartered Accountant and was deeply respected by all who knew and worked with him. He brought sharp insight, honesty and a quiet sense of humour to everything he did, always guided by strong principles and a genuine care for others. His commitment extended beyond his work to a number of community organisations, including Beyond Blue, Rotary Club of Victoria and Tennis Victoria. He took great pride in helping people through challenges and in mentoring those around him.
Right until the very end, he was thinking of others first – wanting to protect those around him and determined to remain in control of the situation in true “Ian” fashion. This extends to Ian’s celebration of life, which he helped plan in his honour.
Date:
Notes:
Please share your messages & memories of Ian in the Guestbook below
Please click HERE to watch the live streaming.
It was with profound sadness that we heard of Ian’s passing, although we were very aware of his health challenge, we were shocked to hear the news. Very, Very sad.
Our family had a very long and fantastic relationship with Ian, through first Ragg Weir and then with Morrows and valued not only his guidance and expertise when doing the accounts, business and personal, but more so those occasional social chats over the phone or in person.
Our deepest and heartfelt sympathy to Penny, Nicola and Sarah, Ian’s family and friends and all of the Morrows family.
He will certainly be missed.
With Deepest Sympathy,
Ron, Joan, Brett, Tracey, April Kerford & family, past & present Bretrac Engineering staff.
To Penny, Sarah, Nicola and the whole family. It’s so hard to know what to say. Yesterday showed us all again why we loved Ian and why we’ll miss him so much. Hearing his family speak about him gave us all some more depth to the character we know he had. He loved and adored his family and was always putting them first – that became ever clearer the more we heard yesterday. He was so good to our family over a very long period of time. We will be thinking of him often, and of you all, and we look forward to seeing you around Flinders – his very special place. Yesterday really was a great way to celebrate a very special man, and a wonderful life lived. Lots of love from Jamie, Sally, Zoe, Jack and Max
Dear Pen, Sarah and Nicola,
What an amazing celebration you arranged for Ian today – you did him proud!
We were chatting amongst friends afterwards, and it was suggested we share this story too.
Geoff & I became friends with Pen and Ian when our daughters met in Year 7 at Strathcona. We shared a wonderful walking holiday in Japan in 2016. Pen had quizzed the tour organiser prior to our departure as to how he felt Ian would fare on the Japanese cuisine, as Ian’s staple diet was steak and potatoes. “He’ll come back thinner” was the honest reply!
One day towards the end of our tour we were challenged to come up with a Haiku (traditional 3-line Japanese unrhymed poem with 5, 7 then 5 syllables again) about our trip. Ian’s was the winner as it summarised his approach to not just breakfast but all the meals on tour:
“Breky in Japan:
Not another f…… fish!
Guess I’ll just chow down.”
So many wonderful times shared and memories forged – thank you.
Dear Penny, Sarah, Nicola and family,
I am sorry for your loss. I had the pleasure of working with Ian as a staff member, when he was Chair of Tennis Victoria’s Finance, Audit & Risk Committee.
Ian was a wonderful Chair to work with, and had the rare gift of being both pragmatic and precise. As I got to know him over the years it became clear he was also a man of deep purpose, driven by improving things for people. I learned much from him, and it is fitting that he was honoured with Life Membership for his contribution to tennis in Victoria.
Thank you for the wonderful celebration of Ian’s life today, my thoughts are with you during this difficult time.
In 1977 my school friends, Shaggs, Willy Waste, and Brain set up a share house in Carlton. We were from an elite private school, we were 18 years old, and after being locked up in a boarding school for 6 years, we were keen to sample life in the 70s. For context, the number one hit record that year was Ian Drury’s “Sex, and drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll”. Seemed like a plan.
Through our school friend Jody, we learned of a share house in Melbourne’s inner north. This house harboured some older guys who reportedly had all the action we were seeking. Thus, we got to know Deadly, Dick, Dennis, Frytha, and Jenks. And the rumours were true. They had fast cars, motor bikes, good looking girls, and a seemingly bottomless supply of weed. Like moths-to-a-flame, we fluttered into a swirl of endless parties, booze, loud music, and a revolving door of cool young things looking for action. The parties soon moved to our house, as did some of the girls. Bless you ladies for being here today to farewell the maestro of mayhem.
The music of an era stays with us of course. Jenks was an Aussie Pub Rock kind of guy. You could put on some Chisel or Angels and Jenks would rise from the bong couch and was guaranteed to scream out the refrain to Doc Neeson’s question.
Doc: Am I ever gonna see your face again? Am I ever gonna see your face again?
Jenks: (No way, get fucked, fuck off)
Jobs were something of a novelty to us private school boys, and it was with NEPO amusement that we observed our “role models” drag themselves off to work with serious hangovers on Monday mornings. Deadly sold furniture in the outer suburbs, Dick drove a truck, and Jenks was training to be an accountant. Of course, we soon learned that jobs paid bills and created funds to have fun, so we set to work pouring beers, working in factories and digging holes to support our ‘fast’ new lifestyles.
Having discovered that pouring beers wasn’t a good long-term plan, I sought some financial advice from Jenks. I suddenly had to do ‘grown up’ things like file tax returns and a live to a budget. Jenks’ advice went something like this:
“Fad, I spend 80% of my income on cars, beer, girls, and drugs. The other 20% of it I waste”.
Jenks, of course, went on to be more sensible and became a devoted family man who set up his team with a very solid financial base, but it seemed like excellent advice at the time.
Most of you will know Jenks’ love of snappy German cars. You know, the Porsche, Audi, Golf R kind of rarefied refinement. But in the 70s he was more into ‘bogan’ wheels. The most memorable of these was The Black Meanie, an SLR 5000 A9X Torana with ludicrously wide tyres, a monster V8, and a scoop on the bonnet that you could barely see over or around. It was Jenks’ pride & joy and was always gleaming black. I can still hear that rumbling sound mate. Today that car would be a prized classic and worth $300,000 to some rev head. Should have kept it Jenks.
One Friday night, after a few bongs and frothies, Jenks and Deadly invited me to accompany them to the Sandown V8 car races. “Sure”, I said—not realising my mistake. I was briefed on the day’s standard operating procedure and told to be ready at 10am next morning. I was duly collected in the Black Meanie, and we thundered out to Sandown Raceway. We parked trackside and soaked up the admiring comments and thumbs up from the other car bogans. Unbeknownst to me, I had arrived in the same car Peter Brock would drive to victory that day.
Deadly, who you could nearly always find in a comfy chair, magicked up some folding chairs, and we sat ourselves down for some serious beer drinking. Deadly and Jenks standard race day protocol was that we each consume a dozen ‘tubes’. Tubes no longer exist but were 500 ml cans of Foster’s Lager. After my dozen tubes, I didn’t know who was winning or which heat was running. Nevertheless, Peter Brock was reeling in 400km and leading the pack I was told. Suddenly everything went quiet; Peter Brock had won, the race was over, the day was a success. Deadly folded our chairs, tossed them in the boot, and Jenks fired up The Black Meanie. Only then did it dawn upon me that he intended to drive us home having just consumed 10 pints of beer.
It was, without doubt, the ride of my life. The apocryphal marketing pitch from Holden is that Torana means “to fly” in a lost indigenous language. I call bullshit and cynical cultural appropriation, but the Black Meanie did ‘fly’ that day. The southeastern freeway was jammed solid, so Jenks drove down the emergency lane at 80mph. Deadly and I saluted the gridlocked cars with brown eyes as we flashed by. How we weren’t killed or arrested, I will never know. Don’t do this at home kids.
We got back to Carlton, where it was promptly decided that we should repair to the Dan O’Connel Hotel across the street for a ‘roadie’. As so often happens, a ‘roadie’ turned into a ‘session’, and Ken the barmen tipped us out for getting rowdy later that evening. Jenks announced that it was time for him to head home. Patrons of the Dan O’Connel knew that a Jenks departure was a worthwhile spectacle, so everyone traipsed outside, beer in hand, to watch The Black Meanie leave.
Settled behind the wheel, Jenks fired up the weapon, which emitted a lusty bark and a vicious snarl, much to the appreciative ooooohs & aaaaaahhs of the assembled crowd. This was, after all, the same car that had just smashed the Fords at the Sandown Hang Ten 400 that afternoon. Jenks dropped the clutch, smoked the tyres, and did two donuts on Princes St Carlton before peeling off into the distance leaving us standing in a stinking cloud of tyre smoke and petrol fumes. We were drunk as skunks and wondering why we didn’t have a glorious set of wheels like that.
Jenks mate, today you’ve made your last departure. There’s no tyre smoke, and I haven’t had 15 beers, but I will think of you every time I hear the rumbling sound of a big V8 or when some rev head ‘smokes the bags’. Thanks for a taste of the wild side of life you mad barstard. Give ‘em hell up there.
There is no timeline, no right way to grieve. Some days will be heavy, and some will feel lighter. Some will bring unexpected waves of sadness, while others will fill you with gratitude for the love you were lucky enough to experience.
Honor your grief, for it is sacred. It is the testament to the depth of your heart. And in time, through the pain, you will find healing- not because you have forgotten, but because you have learned how to carry both love and loss together- Jim Carey
To Penny, Nicola, Sarah and family, thinking of you all at this time and sending lots of love, Paddy and Felicity
Dear Penny, Sarah, Nicola and family,
It was a privilege to attend Ian’s Celebration of Life today in my role as the incoming President of Balwyn Rotary.
Ian’s generous support of Balwyn Rotary is deeply appreciated and has left a lasting legacy. Through the funds raised by the Camberwell Sunday Market, his contribution has had a meaningful impact locally, nationally and internationally.
On behalf of Balwyn Rotary, I extend our sincere gratitude for Ian’s dedication, generosity and service over many years. His commitment made a real difference to countless people and communities, and his contribution will be remembered with great respect and appreciation.
Please accept our heartfelt condolences and best wishes during this difficult time.
Dear Penny, Sarah, Nicola and family, please accept our deepest condolences. We are thinking of you all at this very sad time and sending our love and strength. Ian was a much loved friend of our family and he will be so very missed.
Dear Penny, Sarah & Nicola,
I was saddened to hear about Jenks passing.
Unfortunately I couldn’t make the service however watch the whole video, it reminded me of what a witty, funny, gorgeous man he was.
He took me in my first motor bike ride, Had no idea he was a madman at the time, he was definitely stoned and I was only 18, far too young to know any better.
What a beautiful life.
Jennie Blake
Penny Sarah Nicola and families. The strength of your relationship especially yours and Ian’s is a shining light . It will never go out Penny. Love Kieran and Darryl Little💫
Dear Penny, Sarah and Nicola.
I was lucky enough to begin regular lunches with Footie, Larry and Burge back in the 90s. These lunches proved to be a great intro to the excesses of red wine, as well as great conversation and lots of laughs.
Footie’s mate Jenks soon became a great mate of mine, as well as being our accountant and business advisor. Many times he reached into his “bag of tricks” to provide an ingenious, if slightly murky, great outcome for us.
Our lunches continued through the decades (eventually becoming dinners) and Jenks remained a much-loved friend, confidante, mentor, and bloke who made me laugh.
Cheers, Jenks.
Dear Jenkins family
In 2020, I was called on to fulfil the role of co-Executor for 2 Estates which were extremely problematic. Ian became the financial advisor for the Estates and he was highly-skilled and outstanding. No-one could have done a better job. I will forever be grateful for his assistance and wise counsel, and the professional and helpful manner in which he dealt with clients. I am unable to attend Ian’s Celebration of Life but send you my condolences and best wishes. With kind regards. Rob Danby
Dear Penny, Sarah, Nicola and the extended family, our deepest condolences in these difficult times. We lost our best buddy and accountant and still can’t believe that Ian is not with us any more. A true gentlemen that will be forever missed and especially on Derby Day.
It was a privilege to have known and worked with Ian through our professional association. He was always approachable, professional, and had a great sense of humour. Our sincere condolences to the family and thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues as they celebrate his life.
Dear Penny, Nicola and Sarah,
Our deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathy to you and your family at this very sad time.
Ian will be dearly missed as both a friend and a trusted, wise adviser to us. We feel truly grateful to have been introduced to Ian by our mentor nearly 20 years ago. Since then, he has provided invaluable counsel and support to both of us and our families—financial and beyond.
Ian’s kindness, wisdom, and generosity will always be remembered. He will continue to live on in our hearts and in the many memories we were fortunate to share.
With our sincere sympathy,
Fay & Weng
Dear Penny, Sarah, Nicola and families please accept our condolences at this sad time. We loved Ian and his quirky sense of humour. We always looked forward to laughter filled get togethers. How fortunate we were to have such fine friends with Pen, Ian, Marilou and Colin.
While we are unable to attend we will be watching from afar. We will be with you dear Pen, Sarah, Nicola and families.
Our deepest condolences Penny, Sarah, Nicola and family. Our thoughts and prayers are with you through these difficult times. We look forward to celebrating Ian, “the Legend”, who’s life touched many, and legacy continues to inspire for generations.
Our condolences to Penny Sarah and Nicola and family. We shared a lunch not 5 weeks before Ian’s tragic passing and believed we would see him again on our return.Ian was a friend colleague and partner for so many years and we shared so many experiences during Ian’s career as a young accountant and subsequent partner.We are both sure Ian will be mentoring a new generation of staff and clients in another place free of the need for timesheets. We also remember a lifetime of pleasant social events over so many years.
The world would be a much better place if there were more Ians.
Our condolences to Penny Sarah and Nicola and family. We shared a lunch not 5 weeks before Ian’s tragic passing and believed we would see him again on our return.Ian was a friend colleague and partner for so many years and we shared so many experiences during Ian’s career as a young accountant and subsequent partner.We are both sure Ian will be mentoring a new generation of staff and clients in another place free of the need for timesheets. We also remember a lifetime of pleasant social events over so many years.
The world would be a much better place if there were more Ians.
Dear Penny, Sarah and Nicola sending you my condolences at this sad time. So sadly missed after knowing Ian for the past 33 years with 25 of those years working side by side at Ragg Weir where we overcame many challenges through hard work always accompanied with that great sense of humour. Ian you were a wonderful professional, a great friend and a true gentleman. With all those great memories you will be very much missed but never forgotten.
Dear Penny,Sarah and Nicola,Jenkins McClure and Hartley clans.
Condolences on hearing about Ian’s passing.What a beautiful,witty and kind man who I had pleasure to know through my bestie Jen.I remember how much he loved his family and his beloved fur babies.RIP Ian. Love Lisa,Anthea and our fur babies XX
Dear Penny, Sarah, Nicola and all the family, my condolences at this awful time.
I was very sad to hear Ian had passed away. He certainly battled his illness long and hard in recent years and I for one expected nothing less – it was his determined way.
Ian and I worked very closely for many years. I used to tell him I was employed to make him look good, which I think he liked. I could work out the details and he was the big picture man, the quick thinking ‘showman’ who presented plans to clients. We did make a good team. I remember giving him options to solve problems, but knowing which option Chief Justice Jenkins would select – it was the one that was best for the client – always. I learned many things from Ian but could never bullshit with his style and confidence. He will be greatly missed.
Unfortunately, I’m unable to attend the celebration of Ian’s life as I will be on the road, somewhere between Melbourne and Darwin.
Dear Penny, Nicola, Sarah and family,
Ian was a mentor. More than that, he was a dear friend that showed me utmost love and support.
Thanks for sharing Ian with the rest of us.
I look forward to celebrating his life and paying my respects.
Dear Penny, Sarah Nicola and family, I was shocked and so saddened to learn of Ian’s illness and passing. He was a wonderful man and I enjoyed the 2 short times I was fortunate enough to spend time with him. I know you will miss him terribly. I will be watching the service and my thoughts and prayers will be with you during this most difficult time.
Thanks Ian for your great contribution to Tennis Victoria as Chair of the Audit and Governance Committee over so many years.
Penny, Sarah and Nicola; a life taken far too soon. Ian enjoyed many happy years as a member of the Rotary Club of Balwyn.
Ian’s astute financial counsel was invaluable to the Club and the Camberwell Sunday Market (Celebrating 50 years in 2026). As we will be interstate at the time will be unable to attend Leonda.
To Dear Penny, Nicola, Sarah and family,
Sending you our heartfelt condolences on this extremely sad time.
As you know Penny, I was first introduced professionally to Ian 28 years ago and the relationship didn’t take long to extend to that of a personal one as well.
Ian will be forever remembered by Lisa and I as such a respected and valued friend always interested in not only our financial affairs, but our family journey as well.
I could always rely on Ian for advice, anytime and anywhere. His responses were always full of good banter and opinion. I will forever be grateful for accepting every recommendation Ian gave me regarding growing two businesses, one after the other. Every recommendation turned out to be the right one
Lisa and I look forward to the ‘celebration’ and giving the 3 of you a big hug and a chance to celebrate the ‘larger than life’ man that he was and always will be.
Lots of love.
Michael (Collo) and Lisa Collinson
RIP ’The Captain’
Condolences to Penny, Sarah, Nicola and extended family
Ian was a great person, very funny, and very generous. He will be missed but never forgotten
Christian Beltrame
Dear Penny, Sarah, Nicola and family, I’m so sorry for your loss. Ian was not only my former boss but also my mentor, and he helped me become who I am today. I am grateful I had a chance to work with him. I will attend his Celebration of Life to pay my respects.
I have known “Jenks” since I was 18, he is truly one of a kind and will cherish all the beautiful memories x
Jez and myself will definitely be there
Have known “Jenks” since I was 18, truly one of a kind, so many beautiful memories xx
Jez and myself will definitely be there
Dear Penny and family –
Best bloke, best shoulder, best accountant,
David B.
Dear Penny, Sarah and Nicola and family our prayers and thoughts are with you all as you go through these difficult times. Rose, Jemima and I will be there to celebrate Jenks life and say our final goodbye.
Bryan and Kate McGoldrick will be attending the memorial for Ian. Friends for 55 years
Penny, Sarah, Nicola and the whole family, sending our deepest condolences at this very sad time. We hope to be able to help you celebrate Ian’s life in a really personal way. Kate Morgan & the team at Tomorrow Funerals