If there was one way to describe Dad’s life — it would be that he lived it to the fullest.
Our family has been overwhelmed this past week at the vast outpouring of love from right across the Campaspe Valley district — from right across Australia — to the sense of loss from his sudden death on Monday, August 30.
Gavin Lawrence was the eldest son of Laurie and Aileen O’Sullivan, who arrived at their new farm south of Elmore in 1950, in a 1927 Chevrolet Tourer with baby Gavin’s pram tied on the back.
Dad would have said he had led a hard-working, but fortunate and happy life.
He loved and cared for his four siblings — Peter, Greg, Brenda and Bernard — not to mention the large group of lifetime friends he considered family. Many were locals he had been to primary school with, played footy with and worked with across the Elmore district.
Dad left school at 15 to work on the family farm, ‘Avonlea’, but used to watch the interstate trucks on the Midland Hwy and wonder where they were off to.
At 19 he convinced his dad and brother Peter to invest in buying Bowman’s Transport at Elmore, and away they went: hard-work, long days, always striving to get ahead — brother Greg joining them as the trucking business and farming enterprise grew.
Dad married Fran Barlow from Wanalta in 1971, and three sons followed, Matt, Shaun and Sam. He took great pride in his family always, never more so than when Sam joined the business.
Dad was also passionate about his community. He loved playing footy for Elmore, took pride in his sons’ feats on the field, and talked about watching his grandsons run out in the red and white.
He leaves a thriving business, a strong farming enterprise and a family and community that will continue to love and honour his memory – wife Fran, sons Matt, Shaun and Sam, daughters-in-law Emma, Bec and Amanda, and the pride of his life, grandchildren Iggy, Leo and Billy; Owen, Luke and Zach; and Elizabeth and Harriet.
We can never thank you all enough for the love and support you’ve shown over the past week, and invite you to join us in celebrating his life at the Elmore Recreation Reserve (Elmore Football Club) at 1.30pm on Friday, September 11.
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