My Brother, Reg. 17th May 1933 – 22nd February 2012

Reg loved to tell a good, long and interesting story but he sure created a lot too. He was the rough diamond of the family, as Mum used to say but he had the biggest heart and was the best friend anyone could ever wish for. I have so many stories about Reg but this is the one I will treasure the most. Reg had cancer in the throat and he lost his battle with this dreadful disease on the 22nd of last month. Last October Jim and I went to see Reg out in Jandowae as we knew there was no miraculous cure for his cancer and we wanted to see him while he still looked good and was up to having a chat. Each year Jim and some friends would go fishing with Reg and camp out under the stars overnight. Reg managed to go on his last trip in November and it was the best trip they had ever done catching a record amount of fish and he entertained all with his famous stories. It was not so much the story that was entertaining but the way Reg told it. After Christmas Reg’s health deteriorated rapidly and he was given days, maybe weeks but definitely not months to live. By February I wanted desperately to see him that one last time and when Jim rang and asked how I felt about going to see him I jumped at the chance and we went out a week before he passed on. I wanted to talk about the times we shared together while I was growing up as there were some pretty funny ones and I wanted him to have these to take with him on the last leg of his journey. Grace, (his wife.) warned us that he had wasted away to nothing but nothing can really prepare you for the actual thing. Reg was having a good day when we arrived and we spent a few hours talking about old times and what we could not remember Reg could, it was the most beautiful time I ever spent with him and I thank God every day for allowing us to have that time together. Reg told a few stories of his own and we all had some great laughs. This story was the one that tickled Reg’s fancy the most that day, so that is the one I will tell for many years to come about, My Brother Reg. Reg was staying at home and used to ride this bike with a small motor on it to work each day. He used to Putt, Putt along which we thought was quite funny as Reg loved to go flat strap all the time, but as he said it beat the hell out of peddling. There had been a lot of rain and Charlie’s Creek had flooded, so this particular morning on our way to school, we were not sure if the water was off the bridge or not. Reg was riding with us and he yelled out to us that he would go ahead and see if the bridge was clear or not. You had to wind down onto the bridge, a steep decline and there was this dead tree which had fallen across the creek from bank to bank to the left of the bridge. We could hear Reg Yahooing his way down onto the bridge and just as we came around the last bend, there was Reg somersaulting in mid air and heading for the raging water which was only just off the bridge. We could not scream we just stood there with mouths open waiting to see our Brother fall into the water and drown, as there would have been no way he could have got him out alive . The water was flowing at a terribly fast pace and would have sucked Reg under before anyone could have reached him. He did a complete somersault, landed on his feet on this dead tree, laughing. If Jim and Neville (our cousin.) had of been older I think they would have strangled him. We could not speak for minutes after that. Apparently his front wheel hit a pot hole at the beginning of the bridge which tipped the bike from the back and sent Reg flying. He just walked off the tree collected his bike, fixed her up and off to work he went while us poor kids were still trying to come to grips with what we had just witnessed. I tell you, there was never a dull moment when Reg was around, mostly hilarious ones and some you wish you had never seen. He never changed but you could not help but love the silly bugger. Oh! How I remember Reg.