Stanley Walter Rawsthorne was laid to rest at Eugowra cemetery on Wednesday October 21 with LLM Robert Byrnes conducting the service.
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Stan's daughter Margot and son Kevin wrote and read the eulogy as follows:
Stan Walter Rawsthorne was born in Forbes in 1936.
He had a very large family with eight brothers and six sisters. He was close to all of his siblings most of who lived in the Eugowra district.
As a child Dad was a very good horseman, continuing his family's love of horses.
We learnt later in life that he won numerous show-jumping competitions travelling from show to show.
His first job after leaving Eugowra school was as a Postie delivering mail on his bike.
He had lifelong friendships from childhood. The Shepherd twins, Graham Welsh and Johnny Donaldson were often talked about, with a smile and a laugh.
A few years later he moved to Sydney and lived in Earlwood with the McDonalds whilst working at the Wool Stores in Darling Harbour.
This job was one of the few he did in an office, drawing on his very strong maths skills.
Mrs. McDonald was pretty fierce and kept all the lodgers in line.
He was conscripted for National Service in the 1950's, spending time at Holsworthy, Singleton and Wattamolla (in the Royal National Park).
Stories about National Service were often told, although not always with a laugh.
Dad married Lel Earsman from Canowindra in 1959 (who sadly died of cancer in 2013).
They lived initially in Mascot but returned to Eugowra in about 1960.
They established a home (and later garden) in Wilbe Street Eugowra.
Stan and Lel had five children - Mark, Kevin, Ian (who is unable to be here today due to Covid restrictions), Robert and myself.
Sadly, Robert and Mark have passed away. As the only girl Dad always spoilt me.
Wilbe Street became a base for a big bunch of neighbourhood kids and cousins, with instructions to be home before the streetlights came on.
The garden hosted years and years of backyard cricket, footie games and even chipping competitions.
Dad only gave up bowling when he couldn't get his shoulder up and over.
He never fully recovered from pulling a hamstring in his 70s playing touch footie with grandsons Lukas and Josh in the local park.
Dad had a very strong connection to and love of the land.
He was a valued, skilful and knowledgeable farm worker. He spent many years share farming growing tomatoes, pumpkin, beetroots, and watermelons.
We all have childhood memories of picking tomatoes and moving pipes under the beating summer sun.
When the Lachlan River broke its banks at Herberts, we picked floating pumpkins in waist high water.
Dad never shied away from hard, dirty work.
He worked with the Cutcliff, Cauldwell and O'Neil families among others.
He also spent a few years as the greens-keeper at the Eugowra golf club.
He was a pretty good sportsman playing golf and tennis but mostly enjoying the social side of sport.
He shared this love of sport with us all, teaching us how to play and how to have fun.
He was also a keen card player, playing Euchre and 500. He and Lel had regular card games with close friends the McKenzies, usually over a beer or a glass of port or two.
I'm not sure Dad and Mavis won many games though.
Dad and Mum became travellers later in life, initially following Rob's sporting pursuits to Sawtell for tennis; Riverside Oaks for golf; and around the region for Cricket.
They holidayed in Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania, for Dad's 60th.
They spoke most often and fondly about the boat trip down the Murray with the McKenzies.
Despite the children moving away our parents were regular visitors, be it in Cobar, Maryborough, Bathurst, Sydney or Hong Kong.
We always loved them visiting as our gardens never looked so neat!
There was a period however in Leichhardt when Dad found our permaculture garden a little too much, even pulling out 'those great big thistles' (aka artichokes).
In 1989 Stan's first grandchild Sally was born. This began a love affair between Pop and all of his grandchildren.
All have fond memories of cray dabbing, being thrown on to the backs of horses and being spoilt with lollies in trips to the shop.
Being a grandfather was a great source of joy for Stan.
Stan was a lifelong passionate South Sydney Rabbitohs supporter.
When he lived in Sydney he attended games regularly, including a game with the biggest crowd at the Sydney Cricket ground ever (I think a grand final with Souths in it).
He loved to watch the footie - he was the final arbiter of any statistical fact or sports 'trivia', a tradition which a couple of his grandsons are continuing.
He was keen about horse racing - both the gallopers and the trotters - and liked to have the occasional flutter.
He co-owned a number of 'fast' horses with Mark and Shona, including Out of My Heart which won the Gold Cup at Parkes.
Much to all our horror, he was a huge fan of Slim Dusty playing his records whenever he could. He could recite Australian bush ballads, particularly poems by Banjo Patterson, up until the last year.
Dad loved to tell stories and enjoyed a good joke and to see the funny side of life.
One of our favourites was when he returned from a few drinks at the Leichhardt Bowling Club and with wide eyes told us how he'd seen everything... he'd just passed a woman walking a pig on a lead.
Stan had the ability to find a 'relative' in any setting - working backwards through family histories until there was some connection.
He liked a yarn, even finding a connection with someone at the Belrose Bowling Club whilst having a beer with Kevin to someone who came from Cudal.
This talent of Dad drove our mother to despair.
On a more serious note, Dad had the talent of making others feel welcome.
This was particularly the case with his children's partners who he included into the family with simple but important gestures from sharing a beer to sitting them next to him at the Christmas table.
Dad spent is final years at the Jemalong Residential Village suffering from dementia.
He embraced all that the Village had to offer, going on outings, doing the weekly barbecue and even joining the port and poetry Friday night sessions.
We would like to thank all the staff for the care and friendship they offered Dad.
Dad was a kind, gentle man who loved his family and his friends.
He loved a good yarn and made friends wherever he travelled.
No doubt on this next part of his travels he will be finding connections back to Eugowra.
Dad was a kind, gentle man who loved his family and his friends. He loved a good yarn and made friends wherever he travelled.