VALE: Mark Meehan

by JUDITH HOLZNAGEL

ROSEWOOD lost a colourful character this week when Mark James (Crowie) Meehan died in the ICU at Ipswich General Hospital.

Mark was the adopted son of Judith Holznagel and the late Walter Meehan and brother of Dr Patrick Meehan of Newcastle, UK.

He came to Rosewood at age 4 and lived most of his life here, first with his grandparents Terry and Kathleen Bennett in Matthew Street; later with Ernie and Eunice Schulz at Lanefield, and in his later years, drifting between the Gold Coast, Grantham and with Rob Thomas in Mill Street.

He attended St Brigid’s Primary School and St Edmund’s College and Ipswich TAFE College.

Always interested in trucks, he made many models of them and until his eyesight failed in recent months, he could draw any model of truck exactly to scale and in detail.

Clever with tools, he made some lovely dolls houses, furniture, restored a Hudson car and helped with general work.

He drove trucks and some heavy equipment despite being almost illiterate (due to brain damage from his birth mother’s alcohol abuse), although he had special help all through his school days.

A few years ago, he found his indigenous heritage through Link up, but never followed it properly.

But his life was shaped by his love of the sea.

His first voyage was to Stradbroke Island at age 3. His mother and brother and many of the other passengers were very sea sick due to rough waves, but Mark was not a bit sick and ran around the deck telling people that “Mummy and Pat are green” as we were.

He sailed on the container ship 'New Zealand Pacific' from Perth to Sydney, then made a model of the ship, including 200 handmade containers on the deck. P&O Shipping bought it from him and gave him a trip to Europe on another container ship 'Encounter Bay'.

On this voyage, the ship sailed into the worst storm the Captain had seen in 40 years at sea, and the ship was in grave danger off the south coast of New Zealand. But it was saved and, a few weeks into the voyage, Mark rang his mother from the middle of the Indian Ocean, saying that he was sick with flu and asking her to arrange a rescue.

This was not possible and the Captain had appropriate medicine given to Mark, who recovered and went on to Athens, Naples (and Pompeii), Genoa and Marseilles. He was away for three months and had a great time.

Mark had two trips on cruise liners and his practice was “bar to spa to bar”. He was warned that bar bills had to be paid when the ship docked, but he ran up $90, which his friend Glen paid for him to save his being carried on to New Zealand and having to find his way home.

A few months ago, he sailed to Airlie Beach and continued his usual "bar to spa” and, when he sat down with a drink, people came and talked with him, as he made friends easily.

His NDIS carers were wonderful to him in his last years, despite his being often non-compliant.

Mark lived his life on his own terms, and, sadly, this had a price at the end. He made and kept many friends. We will miss his smile and the old black hat.

May he rest in peace.