Keith Pitt (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is with great sadness that I rise to advise the House of the passing of Gary Radel on the weekend, at the age of 62, after a short battle with lung cancer. Gary was well known and well respected in surf-lifesaving circles. He was a life member of the Moore Park Beach Surf Life Saving Club, a life member of the Wide Bay-Capricorn branch and a life member of Surf Life Saving Queensland.

I first met Gary in the mid-1980s when as a young teenager I joined the Bundaberg Surf Life Saving Club. Gary was already well into officialdom at that time. I was a young, hot-headed competitor. Gary being a very strict official, we often had some fairly robust discussions. But he was a gentleman I knew for almost three decades, and his passing is very unfortunate.

My deepest condolences go to his wife and family and to the surf lifesaving community in general. In recent reports, Surf Life Saving Queensland Wide Bay Capricorn regional operations manager Craig Holden said Mr Radel was a 'true gentleman' of the surf lifesaving movement:

He was respected by everyone involved as a fair and honest surf -sports' official and also as someone who was passionate about the training of members for their awards and accreditations - in particular, as a trainer and assessor

To hold not one but three life memberships is a great achievement, and certainly there is a great loss to the surf lifesaving community in my electorate and in the community of the electorate of Flynn.

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