The past few weeks have been a test of my faith: firstly, with the tragic loss of 18-year-old lifesaver Joe Tolano; and, just a few days later, Caloundra icon Wendy Hayes.
While both are equally sad, at least Wendy was able to live her life, have a family and make a huge difference in the community. While she still had plenty of life to live, she certainly had made a massive impression in that dash (1963-2026), as they say, between being born and passing.
At first glance, Joe, at 18, never had that chance and I was pretty angry about it initially. But when I sat down to write this column, I thought about his brave family’s eulogies and tributes from his former principal and schoolmates, and it occurred to me that he packed a lot into 18 years.
At my age, you go to a lot of funerals, but I had never been to one where every person who spoke had more than one funny story. Sure, there were tears, but there were plenty of laughs, too. He was a kid who was definitely old for his years, but will remain forever young. And while his dash (2007-2026) was shorter, it certainly packed a lot in: sporting ability, a larrikin, great son, sibling and friend – only outweighed by being an outstanding human.
I wrote a column about Wendy on August 1, 2011. This is some of what I wrote, in regard to the Island Charity Swim at Mudjimba: “I first met Wendy when a committee was formed to support the swim and to raise money for Currimundi Special School to build a hydrotherapy pool. Wendy arrived with a big cake, big hat, big cane basket and big personality. Every meeting after that, she had a cake, so I started calling her the cake lady.”
The thing that Wendy taught me was that there was always a way to get stuff done. She did everything with a flourish, gigantic smile and, of course, cake. The school did get its pool and a share of the $2 million or so raised over the decades of the swim. Much of it had to do with the determination and drive that Wendy brought in her basket, but also her soul.
There is a quote that sums up Joe and Wendy: “Everyone dies but not everybody lives”. These two wonderful souls both lived a life. They never met but maybe right now they’re sharing cake, knowing they’ll always be in the hearts of those who loved them.
Ashley Robinson is Mets Caloundra CEO, chairman of Thunder Netball and a lifetime Sunshine Coast resident.
