With great sadness, we announce the passing of long-serving Rotary Club member Col Dash on Monday, July 3rd, 2023, at the St Vincent Aged Care nursing home on Church Road in Mitchelton.
Col was 87 and moved into St Vincent aged care home to support his wife, Brenda 92, a retired schoolteacher. The couple had been married for over 61 years and lived in the same house since marriage in Gaythorne. Col had a long and distinguished career, working for the Queensland Health Department in marketing and promotion, with his last office at the RNA exhibition precinct in Brisbane. His retirement in 1986 gave way for him to take up the role of club presidency, which he held three times over the years through hard times and good. Col was a member of the Mitchelton Rotary club for 53 years and held multiple board positions over the years, including foundation chair, honorary member and has been awarded 3 Paul Harris Fellow pins. Col was a very active member of his community, and his contributions to the local club were immeasurable. He was involved in various projects, from developing the club's membership history to running the local Probus. He was also instrumental in contributing with hands-on support with the Brookside art show that ran for over 10 years, cancer fund door-knocks for 10-plus years, charity events, and paint your heart out projects.
Col was also a talented printer and ran a home-operated printing business for local community members until the early 2000s. Col was a man of many interests and talents. He loved classic cars and spent many hours fixing up his beloved Ford Galaxy, which you would have seen driving well below the speed limit around town! He was also an accomplished woodworker who loved creating furniture for his family and friends and spent time in the garage showing his grandchildren how to turn wood. He was a deep thinker and always gave a lot of thought to the decisions being made and a true lover of Irish and classical music. Despite his many achievements, Col was a humble and unassuming man. He was always willing to lend a helping hand, whether digging holes, painting houses, picking up rubbish, laying slabs for bus shelters or clearing cemetery overgrowth for rejuvenation Col has left his print in almost every corner of Mitchelton and its surrounds.
He was a true community hero and will be deeply missed by all who knew him. Col's funeral is a private and closed affair, just the way he would have wanted it. He leaves behind his wife, Brenda, three sons, a daughter, and many grandchildren who continue to live in the community. His legacy will live on through his many contributions to the community and his unwavering commitment to making the world a better place.
