The funeral service for Marine Rescue Ballina volunteer William ‘Bill’ Ewen, who lost his life in the Ballina 30 rescue tragedy on May 4, was held on Monday at Ballina RSL Club. Bill’s family, friends and Marine Rescue compatriots mourned, remembered and celebrated his very full life.
MC Phil Chapman, said that as well as those gathered, there were many people watching via the stream. In particular, Bill’s extended family in Scotland. ‘Although we are separated by time and distance, we know that you are with us in spirit, and that you both mourn and celebrate with us today.
Bill’s daughter Angie
Bill’s daughter, Angie Brown, delivered a beautiful eulogy for her dad. ‘There are far too many things to say about the man Dad was to ever fit into a short eulogy, but today I will do my very best to honor his life and the extraordinary impact he had on all of us.
Mrs Brown said her dad was quite simply a wonderful man who was very deeply loved. ‘Dad was born on the 27th of April 1948 in the northeast of Scotland, the younger brother to his sister Margaret.’
Mrs Brown spoke of Bill’s love for his family, those passed and present and about his move to Australia after his beloved wife Doreen passed away in 2005.
He was a devoted father and grandfather and when he found love again with Kerry – the family grew.
Bill ‘immediately loved’ the Marine Rescue
Mrs Brown spoke of Bill’s love of the Marine Rescue ‘immediately loved’ in 2017. ‘He was always talking about the boat, his mates there, and his experiences out on the water, seeing the beauty of whales and dolphins never ceased to amaze him.
‘We are all so proud of the commitment he gave to marine rescue and the sense of purpose and community it brought to his life.’
Mrs Brown joked that although English was his second language, he had not trouble communicating his joy. ‘People may not have always understood him, but they were drawn by his warmth, his cheeky smile, and that twinkle in his eye.
‘He was generous with his time, always willing and keen to help others in any way he could. He loved a social gathering, a dram of whiskey or rum and his family forever.
‘I will be proud of Dad, not only for the bravery he displayed on the night of the 4th of May, but for the man he was and the way he lived his life.
‘Despite the hardship and tragedy he experienced that believed life was meant to be lived to the fullest. He believed in finding joy, in helping others, and never passing up an opportunity for fun, and that’s exactly how he lived.
‘My heart is broken, but it is also full. How lucky was I to have had a father like Dad, a man who guided me, supported me, made me laugh, and loved me unconditionally.’
Bill’ wife Kerry
Bill’s wife Kerry spoke about meeting Bill in 2014. ‘He had come over from Scotland to be closer to his daughter Angie, and we hit it off.
‘Two years later, in 2016 we decided to move to Ballina and purchased our home on the water. He also became a member of the marine rescue around this time. We decided to tie the knot, got married in 2018 and spent a lot of happy times holidaying in our caravan.
‘We travelled to Scotland in 2023 and Bill showed me his homeland, and I was honoured to meet a lot of his friends and have a lot of wonderful memories to keep.’
‘Bill enjoyed the ocean, the water, and Marine Rescue. Not a day passed when he didn’t mention his mates and the boat.
‘We will all miss Bill. He is the love of my life, and I’ll miss him terribly. He has gone way too soon, so many more memories were to be made, but he left doing what he loved, no suffering, no pain.’
‘Rest in peace, my special love. I miss you.’
Marine Rescue
The Unit Commander of Marine Rescue Ballina, Peter Hill, said that Bill joined Marine Rescue in February 2017. ‘He achieved crew rating just 11 months later, and he received the New South Wales Premier’s flood emergency citation and medal in March this year.
‘I checked the activity report for the boats for the last three and a half years, and Bill’s name appeared in the crew list over 90 times over that period, he loved his boats. Kerry showed us the wall of the garage, full of his certificates and newspaper articles about special rescue missions that he’d been on.
Justifiably proud
‘He was justifiably proud of all the certificates and articles that he’d been into and the contribution to marine rescue.’
Bill was popular with all his fellow crew members, they said – ‘He was always the first one to put his hand up if there was a job to be done, no matter how hard the task was; We would be out on a rescue if Bill was on the radio. The skipper would give him another job to do; Bill will be sadly missed by his fellow members – I had a lengthy conversation with Bill and didn’t understand a word; Bill was dedicated to marine rescue, a fun-loving gentleman with a mad Scottish accent; I enjoyed Bill’s company, he always put a smile on my face; Bill was a welcoming, kind, and fun-loving member who was passionate about marine rescue.
‘He will be sadly missed by all his marine rescue friends.’
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