By KATH GANNAWAY
“HE has achieved so much in his life”. That pivotal observation of Yarra Junction’s Bob Finch by CFA chaplain Harley Kitchen, was, as he said himself, a huge understatement.
Mr Kitchen led a celebration of Bob’s life at Heritage Funerals in Woori Yallock on Tuesday, 12 July.
Bob died suddenly at 73 years of age on 2 July, leaving his family and the many friends and associates he had made in his decade or so in the Upper Yarra in shock, and in sadness.
For many who knew Bob only in the last period of his life, mainly through his involvement with Ben’s Shed, the Yarra Junction men’s shed, and during his time in a wheelchair, his story was indeed a revelation.
“He has achieved so much through his life … overcoming obstacles and powering on, so many times,” was the full observation.
He had a rough start to life. Born Robert Raymond Finch on 18 October, 1942, in Ararat, he was Robert and Laurel Finch’s first child.
His limbs had not fully formed, he had no lower limbs, one leg ending just below his knee and the other around mid-calf. His right arm ended at his elbow. Doctors operated to separate and define four fingers and a thumb – and boy, did Bob make good use of that handiwork!
Bob’s parents treated him as any other young boy growing up.
A photo slide show of Bob throughout his early and later family life, presented a pictorial celebration of resilience, determination and normality.
At three he was fitted with a peg leg and at eight received his first pair of artificial legs. He went to school, walked, ran, rode a bike, swam and when he was old enough, rode motorbikes and, with modifications drove cars and trucks.
His younger brother Alan paid tribute in a message from London, saying that growing up together taught him a lot about courage and resilience.
He said Bob would tackle anything from flying to snorkelling off South Bondi, and defying anyone who didn’t believe that he could actually run on his artificial legs.
His anecdotes had the ‘audience’ in bursts of laughter.
Alan wrote that after damaging his leg at school one day, he was carted off in a wheelbarrow.
“He said, with a grin, that he was the only kid who could break a leg and be back at school the same afternoon,” Alan recalled.
Bottle collections for the YMCA was another memory.
“Bob would always volunteer to go into the places with dogs. His attitude was – if they bite me it’s going to hurt them, not me,” he said.
They were just a couple of many very believable anecdotes.
A major highlight for Bob as a teenager who was crazy about aeroplanes and a great admirer of WW2 RAF flying ace and double amputee, Douglas Bader, was to meet his hero when he came to Australia.
Another surprise revelation was Bob’s interest in musical theatre, performing in Gilbert and Sullivan operettas and assisting at local eisteddfods – where he met his first wife, Elsa (Rose) Pagenstecher.
Rose and Bob married in 1964 and had three children – Conrad, who sadly died at birth, and Jane and Anni.
After Bob and Rose separated in 1978, Bob joined Parents without Partners in Sunbury where he made many friends, and met his second wife, Ingrid. They married in 1981 the family grew to five children with Ingrid’s three young children Jason, Racheal and Pieter.
Bob’s community work continued when they moved to Mt Eliza with Bob becoming Scout leader at Frankston’s disabled Scout group in the early ’80s and president of the Carrum Junior Football Club.
Ingrid and Bob moved to Launching Place in 1998, where he had a workshop in his home shed and taught local unemployed teenagers new skills in woodworking.
That led him to working with a local committee on establishing Ben’s Shed.
Rob Barber spoke on behalf of the Men’s Shed, again sharing some funny and poignant anecdotes.
“A lot of the programs we have at the shed are down to Bob’s persistence and his wanting to get involved with the groups,” he said.
He singled out the mentoring program run with several schools in the area which had brought hundreds of young people into contact with older mentors, and taught them woodworking skills.
“He got to know his community and what the community wanted,” he said.
“Bob looked at the areas of community that needed special help, and worked on them.”
Another tribute came from Albert Grulke on behalf of the Warburton RSL where Bob was an affiliate member.
He said Bob was a tireless worker and respected and admired member.
“He worked in the background but he was always there and I could always rely on him.
“Bob was never one to cry ‘poor me’, he just got on with it,” he said.
His work-life was equally full and productive including working in local council and the fuel industry, among other areas.
Wherever the Finch family lived, Bob was involved in community from the Jaycees in Kyabram to the local gun club in Mildura and, in the Yarra Valley the Upper Yarra SES was included in that dedication to community.
Bob was grandfather to 10 grandchildren and there were moving tributes on their behalf from Chelsea and Brooke and a piece on cello by grand-nephew, Daniel.
Mr Barber spoke of suggestions of a memorial to Bob. “I think the memorial is going to be the Shed, and the longevity of the programs,” he said.
“That will be a memorial to Bob.”
