Legacy lives on

By Casey Neill
MOUNT Evelyn Fire Brigade is supporting the family of a CFA stalwart left reeling by his sudden, unexplained death, while his legacy lives on.
Bernie Doolan started the brigade’s annual garage sale fundraiser, which will be held at the station on York Road from 7am to 3pm this Saturday 9 October.
The event brings in most of the brigade’s funds, with $16,000 raised last year.
Mr Doolan passed away on 23 March this year, leaving behind his wife, Nettie, six children and 11 grandchildren.
He died from a heart attack, but the cause and circumstances are still unclear.
“I think that’s the traumatic part of it, is how quick it was and shocking,” daughter Kerrie Meyer said.
His fire crew colleagues have rallied behind the Doolan family, raising more than $5000 from a trivia night on 28 August to help defray funeral costs the family paid for in March.
Ms Meyer said more than 220 people packed Mount Evelyn Community Hall for the event.
“I knew it would be a good night, but I didn’t realise how big,” she said.
“It’s like everything that’s involved with the fire brigade. It’s just amazing what support they’ve offered.
“You just get to talk about him with people who knew him and that’s a really healing sort of thing, that’s really nice.” Mr Doolan died on his daughter’s farm near Pyramid Hill where he’d moved in retirement “to play with the cows, we always said”.
“Dad was a farm boy at heart,” Ms Meyer said.
His son-in-law found him dead, slumped in a chair with a deep gash on his forehead.
“But, we still have no idea whether he hit his head because he was having a heart attack, or whether he’d hit his head and gone to bed because he wasn’t feeling well, or whether he’s woken up not feeling well and hit his head,” Ms Meyer said.
“We play CSI all the time and we all have our own theories. It’s frustrating on some days and other days it doesn’t matter.”
Mount Evelyn Fire Brigade members helped Mrs Doolan move their belongings back from the farm – and supervised “the biggest bonfire you have ever seen”.
“We just burnt everything that mum didn’t want to move,” Ms Meyer said.
“It was really emotional, just watching that fire burn and knowing fire’s such a part of his life with the people that were there was really quite special.”
About 500 people attended Mr Doolan’s funeral at Heritage Pioneer Chapel in Woori Yallock.
“It was becoming like we were organising the event of the year,” Ms Meyer said.
“It was really overwhelming. We just had to do it. You couldn’t not let people come.”
“Walking through the guard of honour was a bit amazing,” Ms Meyer said. “ Mr Doolan grew up in Mount Evelyn and joined the fire brigade in 1960 at 18 years. He was elected first lieutenant the following year and held the position for 26 years, many alongside friend and brigade captain Ken Reed.
He was awarded CFA Life Membership, Brigade Life Membership, and received a National Medal for his service.