Tributes are flowing after the sudden death of beloved Sunshine Coast surfing coach Tim Ollier, 34.
He is survived by his two young daughters, Prim and Tully, and a community struggling to comprehend the loss of a man many say brought light, laughter and warmth wherever he went.
To those who knew him, Mr Ollier wasn’t just the life of the party, “he was the party”.
His presence was unmistakable, his mother Jennifer Kennedy said.
“You could hear him before you saw him,” she said.
“Loud, laughing and always ready with a hug, whether he knew you or not, he filled every room with energy. He was just the most lovable larrikin you would ever meet.”
Mr Ollier moved to the Sunshine Coast from a farm in the Hunter Valley as a young boy who had never stood on a surfboard. That changed after he met North Caloundra Surf School coach Russell Hoffman.
“That was the start of the journey,” Ms Kennedy said.
“He became one of the best little surfers on the Sunshine Coast by the age of 15. He was in competitions, winning everywhere.”
Mr Hoffman became a long-time mentor and encouraged him into coaching, a path he followed for the rest of his life.
“It’s the ocean; it’s just him,” Ms Kennedy said.
Plans are underway for a large community paddle-out in Mr Ollier’s honour in the new year, with his family expecting a significant turnout.
“It’s going to be very big,” she said.
His daughters were the centre of his world, Ms Kennedy said.
In a eulogy she shared, she read: “You loved your girls more than anything. There weren’t many rules. The three of you played hard. The shrieks of laughter, the mess of toys and games, it was everywhere.”
Tully, who will turn two this month, told her grandmother, “We need to go to the moon and find him.”
“They just don’t comprehend,” Ms Kennedy said. “We’ve got to be strong for them.”
A fundraising campaign has raised more than $20,000 to help the family give Mr Ollier what they described as the farewell he deserves.
“We were blown away by the generosity,” Ms Kennedy said.
“He touched a lot of people’s lives and we want to give our heartfelt thanks to everyone. We can now have the party of the century for him.”
She said she hoped her son would be remembered as “a beautiful, gentle soul who’d give his last dollar … our Sunshine Coast surfer taken too soon”.
Police inquiries into Mr Ollier’s death are continuing.
Visit the GoFundMe to donate.
