FRIENDS gathered at St Brigid’s Catholic Church in Mordialloc last week to farewell a popular and community-oriented man, loving husband and father and passionate Rotarian.
Laurence (Laurie) Worsnop passed away from a brain tumour on 21 November at the age of 65.
A former president of the Rotary Club of Dandenong Central and Endeavour Hills, Mr Worsnop had many friendships through his continued community involvement and his passion to help people in need.
Mr Worsnop worked for Wallara, a not-for-profit organisation based in Dandenong, before retiring about seven years ago.
He became a member of the Rotary Club of Dandenong Central while working at Wallara and served as president at the time when the Dandenong Central Club merged with Endeavour Hills.
He also sat on the board of Shelter Box Trust and later Disaster Aid Australia (DAA) and helped with major projects.
DAA is a disaster relief charity that delivers emergency shelter, warmth and dignity to people made homeless by disasters worldwide.
On a statement on the Disaster Aid Australia website, Chief Executive Officer Jenni Heenan said Laurie was “a stabilising force for all of us when faced with the termination from ShelterBox Trust UK – a time when emotions needed to be taken out of negotiations and on reflection, Laurie was our strength in handling this situation in true Rotary spirit,” Ms Heenan said.
“A man who was always prepared to offer his assistance and advice – hands on in spreading the story of how we worked through and came out the other side with a first-rate Australian humanitarian aid package supported by Rotarians around the world. He stood proud and so he should.”
A month before Mr Worsnop passed away, his good friend and President of the Rotary Club of Endeavour Hills John O’Reilly presented him with a Paul Harris Fellow Award.
“He was very proud to receive the honour,” Mr O’Reilly said.
“That was a highlight of my year.”
Robyn, Mr Worsnop’s wife of 41 years, said besides having a passion to help others, he was an amazing husband and father, a man of integrity and had a great sense of humour.
She said they two of them took time to explore the world and enjoy the finer things in life.
“We always travelled together overseas, we enjoyed good red wine and good restaurants. We had a great mateship,” Mrs Worsnop said.
Mrs Worsnop said her husband was an avid sportsman and former A-grade squash player, who served on boards of sporting organisation, managed a junior football team, enjoyed staying active and going to the gym with his wife and was the biggest fan of his children and their sporting endeavours.
“He was a tremendous character,” she said.
Mr Worsnop leaves behind his wife Robyn, sons Matthew (Anna), Adam (Zara), Edward and grandchildren Max, Zac and Hunter. – Lia Bichel
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