In memory of Col Breaden

We are here today to celebrate Dad’s life. I would like to share some memories with you that are dear to the family and illustrate a little of the Col Breaden that we know and love.

Dad had a lifelong passion for motorbikes, cars and motorsport.

As a small boy, his hero was Sir Malcom Campbell, the first person to drive an automobile over 300 miles per hour.  He called the telephone exchange to ask if he could be put through to Sir Malcolm - only to be told that Sir Malcolm wasn’t available, perhaps he might like to speak to Shirley Temple instead.

When Dad was in high school he was desperate to own a motorbike. His father promised that he would buy him one - if he passed his Leaving Certificate.  

After looking at one of Dad’s old school reports, we could understand why our grandparents thought this would never happen.  Well, Dad did get his Leaving Certificate and the motorbike. This led to many hair-raising adventures and long road trips with his best mate Alf Bock. 

It wasn’t unknown for Dad to go to bed early on Sunday night but with the alarm set so he could be up at 1 am to watch live broadcasts of Formula 1 or MotoGP races from around the world. A few hours’ sleep and he would be off to work the next morning.

He also had a bit of a soft spot for Morris Minors.  After Mum and Dad were married, their first car was a Morris Minor called “Bluebell”. Years later, Dad acquired a collection of Morris Minors, with the intention of restoring them. His favourite was the green Morris ute used for collecting wood in the wintertime, and which also made a cameo appearance in the movie “The Dish”.

Dad really loved animals, especially cats and dogs. 

Kittens were frequently dumped at the back of the tyre service and would be rescued by Dad and brought back home. Even if they didn’t stay for long, Dad was happy that he’d given them a good feed and a warm bed for a night or two.

Dogs were always part of our family. Many of you would have seen Mum and Dad’s border collies being taken for walks or driven around town in the Morris Minor sedan - Dad’s dog Mischief taking pride of place in the front passenger seat, and Mum and Mason sitting in the back.

Dad also loved to read. He would read anything. People were often surprised by the depth of his general knowledge and his ability to discuss a wide range of topics – particularly history.

Dad took up lawn bowls in his 40’s and spent many, many happy hours down at the Bowling Club. He had been a member of the pennants team at various times in his bowling career, and often travelled far and wide to play. He absolutely loved his bowls and was so proud of being made a life member in late 2017.

Dad became a member of the Freemasons in 1955 and remained a member for over 60 years. He was also involved in other service clubs, including Rotary.

Family was always so important to Dad. The first thing he would say when he walked through the door in the evening was ‘Hello family!’ He would keep us entertained by singing show tunes while he was doing the washing up.

My brothers and I have many fond memories of doing things with Dad.

One of Michael’s favourite memories is a trip to the Temora Air Show. Dad had always loved CAC Wirraway fighter planes and Michael knew that there would be one at the airshow. The look of joy wonder and delight on Dad’s face when he heard the first notes of the engine and watched it fly overhead made the trip so worthwhile.

I inherited Dad’s passion for reading, history and animals. We also shared a love of kid’s movies and cartoons. Dad would take me to every Disney or family movie that played at the old Century Theatre as well as watching Disneyland with me on Sunday nights. On a recent visit, he asked me to watch Paddington 2 with him. He said he didn’t know which he’d enjoyed more – the movie itself or watching me laughing all the way through it.

Col ‘Junior’ remembers that when he was in high school, his friends would come to visit him and end up talking to Dad most of the night instead. Dad was insistent on punctuality when collecting Col from his friend’s houses, expecting him to be ready to leave on the dot. Col ‘Senior’ would then spend an hour talking to the other parents on the front verandah, while Col ‘Junior’ waited patiently.

Dad always took the time to nurture young Col’s love of Star Wars, taking him to see the movies at the Parkes Drive-In and finding special toys for him to add to his collection.

Dad loved his four grandsons dearly and they adored and respected him. He spent many happy hours with his eldest grandsons – going out collecting wood with James and working on the Morris Minors with Nicholas. 

Dad was also gentle with, and genuinely interested in Ryan and Alex, his littlest grandsons. ‘Grandpa’ would show the boys his miniature cars and other things they might be interested in, carefully explaining things to them, as well as asking and answering questions.

My parents’ love and respect for each other has lasted for over 60 years and they had so many happy times together. Mum will carry treasured memories of Dad and love in her heart for him always.

We have learnt many things from Dad. He was a true gentleman and loving family man with a cheeky grin and very quirky sense of humour. We will miss him and are honoured to have been part of his life.

His daughter-in-law, Kylie Breaden, also shared: Col was a man of integrity, honour, loyalty, dedication, love and had a fierce hug-backslap-laugh combination.

He had a quirky humour that his three children have thankfully shared. His cheeky smile and weirdly endearing jokes and wordplay will be so sadly missed. His way of love was not to shout it to the world, but to include you in a conversation of whatever had caught his attention.

While many will say he was lucky to have had a long life at 87 years, it was just not enough. He and Val's four grandsons adore them both and have a wonderful example of a true gentleman and loving family man to follow. We will miss you forever Col Senior and are honoured to have been part of your family.