CAROL McFarlane loved her husband Allan for more than 50 years and was married to him for 48. He was a very special person in her life.
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She just never really realised how many other people felt the same way about him.
Not until a tragic accident at sea on Friday January 11 claimed his life, after the two of them were left hanging onto their capsized boat, treading water in Port Phillip Bay for about 20 minutes before a passing boat picked them up.
The couple met at a dance in Heidelberg Town Hall in 1967 – back when a dance meant a full-blown orchestra and that particular town hall was the place to be, and be seen.
Where the likes of Olivia Newton-John were regulars on stage to entertain the huge audience and dancers.
“We met through friends and from the moment we did meet I thought to myself this chap was a bit of alright,” Carol said.
“And he was. We have had a very happy, very interesting life together,” she said.
They also had “four beautiful daughters” – Amanda, Rebecca, Caroline and Georgina and then the grandchildren.
But as much as Allan’s death has changed her life forever, Carol has been enormously comforted by the overwhelming number of people who have made contact, or sent their condolences.
Some she didn’t know, others she hadn’t seen for years, but all of them remembered Allan. Their lives all touched at some point by him over his remarkably diverse career journey.
After initially qualifying as a plumber and gas fitter, Allan also owned an earthmoving business, became a builder and a farmer.
He then evolved into an Echuca-Moama businessman; buying Echuca Buslines.
And in his spare time, he purchased the old Commercial Hotel on High St, Echuca, and spent years upgrading and converting a fairly rundown address into a modern commercial and residential accommodation complex.
“He did so much work there; and did such a good job of fixing all the wear and tear and turning it into what it is today,” Carol explained.
But Allan didn’t stop there – along the way the couple also turned their hand to the restaurant trade, establishing fine-dining venue Redman’s On High on the ground floor of their building. Supported by their family, Allan sometimes even manned front-of-house while Carol chef-ed up a storm in the kitchen.
In more recent years, despite Allan still working the school bus run, the couple were able to travel frequently.
“We made many trips to the US to visit our daughter Rebecca, who lives in Denver – I think Allan may have made 16,” Carol said.
“On the back of that we did a lot of overseas travel and saw so many things together. We also loved to travel Australia and we did a lot of caravanning with family and friends. We were just so happy – we had 48 wonderful years together.
“He was my best friend as well as my husband and I will miss him dearly.
“Through all the years Allan did so much with, and for, so many. I couldn’t think of the number of children he taught to waterski – one from all those years ago is flying in from Sydney for this week.
“It’s that sort of response that has been so overwhelming and so helpful. It seems as though people are coming from everywhere.
“Allan was also a member of the Echuca Club and he always loved that, playing cards with the Punter’s Club and making so many good friends there.”
Lifelong boaties, Allan and Carol had borrowed a boat they were thinking about buying, for a trial run.
“We had been having a lovely time; we had stopped, when the water suddenly started pouring in. It all happened very fast,” she said. “The police don’t know what happened and are still looking into it all.”
By the time help arrived, Allan was unconscious. People on the boat that rescued them and emergency service responders at the Blairgowrie pier worked hard to try and revive him, as did the medical staff at the Frankston Hospital. Sadly, he never regained consciousness and died. He was 71 years old.
Allan was buried in Whittlesea on Friday after a private family service and his life will be celebrated tomorrow at 1.30pm in Rich River Golf Club’s Tatalia Room.
A venue that has played such a major part in the McFarlane family’s lives – a wedding; a 21st, a 60th, a 70th – and the couple had already started planning 50th wedding anniversary celebrations for next year.
And now Allan’s farewell.