A love of family and church, an unwavering dedication to community and a lifelong passion for racing defined the life of Stanthorpe man Des Day.
Mr Day, 85, was farewelled on Monday 15 April at a mass at St Joseph’s Catholic Church where people packed into the pews, stood in the aisles and even waited outside to say their farewells to this stalwart of the Granite Belt.
Mr Day is survived by his wife of 59 years, Fran, his children Kerri, Julie, Stephen, Greg and Angela, 15 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
He was not a tall man and yet he was a giant in the community, admired for his involvement in different organisations and loved for his irrepressible sense of fun, which was a bright thread running through the tapestry of his life, from April Fool’s Day jokes to pranks at his and Fran’s famed Melbourne Cup Day parties. Even doing the serious work of serving the community, he could always be counted upon to lighten the mood and add a little mischief.
Mr Day has been recognised for his huge contributions to the community. His involvement in the Lions Club of Stanthorpe saw him become a life member (40 years of service), Melvin Jones Fellow and recipient of the James D. Richardson award twice. He was recently awarded life membership of the Apple and Grape Harvest Festival after more than 50 years of service. He was a life member of the Ballandean Hall and in his later years became patron of the Stanthorpe Jockey Club.
His love of racing went back a very long way. Originally he partnered with his father in owning horses and in recent years had a share in the Queensland Rogues Syndicate. He was a member of the Stanthorpe Jockey Club from a young age and held many positions over the years.
His youngest daughter Angela Adams and son-in-law Rod Cook gave the eulogy from which this information has been distilled, and told many anecdotes that epitomised the character of Des Day, the eldest of seven children and born to a life on the land in Stanthorpe where he saw the advancement of land management from horse-assisted farming to the use of modern machinery.
Angela said the Sacred Heart Church at Lyra had been a big part of her Dad’s life, from being an altar boy as a child and progressing to doing readings. All his children were married at the Lyra church and he and his wife celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary there with a mass attended by family and friends.
“Up to six months before his passing, he was still going out to the farm to do tractor work or pruning,” said Angela.
“He was determined to do things himself right until the end. In his last week he had a beer at the pub with Fred, had a bet on the horses on Saturday, Monday he went out to Eukey to check on the cattle and Tuesday went out to his beloved vegie garden to check his chokos and zucchinis.
“He was even determined to walk himself to the car to be taken to the hospital on Wednesday. We are proud of Mum as she fulfilled his wish to stay at home as long as possible. She looked after him until the three days he spent in hospital until he passed. We don’t think she could have done a better job.”
