Usually when I get back from hunting, I stopped on a town where my mate Ted's nursing home is and usually, I call him as soon as I can get signal on my phone to tell him that I am coming.

So yesterday, after a few days in the bush I stop driving on my usual spot where I got signal and..

First message I saw on the phone was to inform me that my mate Ted Butler has passed away. He was the guy I described sometime ago here re. having his house sold by his nephew after signing over his Power of Attorney.

Ted was born in 1924, he was the strongest man I know due to his tenacity and pure stubbornness. For example, 10 years ago, at 84 years old he was the oldest man that completed the Sydney to Surf 17 km run that year.

Ted dabbles in anything and everything under the sky , he was in the Australian Army in the Second WW fighting Japanese in Nugini serving with the artillery corps. Then he work as laboratory assistant in the University of New South Wales in the Chemistry department. He was a hoarder of many things - from art artifact to newspaper clippings.

Ted loves guns , he work in Jansa Arms in the 1980 till about 2000, that is where I met him and we became good friends since.
We introduce us to others as twin because we have the same birthday, and we have shared birthday cakes for the past 20 or so years.

Rest in peace my brother.

Sorry to hear of your best friend passing . Salute to all veterans

Sorry to here that mate, May he rest in peace.

Gelandangan, I’m really sorry to hear of Ted passing mate.

It’s a shame you couldn’t be there with him when he passed. You will always remember him come your birthday mate, so he will never be forgotten.

Rest In Peace old warrior, your job is done...Stand Down.

Lest We Forget

gelandangan, he lead a good long life. Thanks for sharing your tribute to him.

you still get to share your birthday cake with him Mate...cut a slice and chuck it in the fire...the smoke will head off his way and you will think of him as you do so...remember the good times and be happy your "twin" is with his maker now.

Those who lived well are an asset to God's heaven.

Condolences Gelandangan, mates are a sad thing to lose

Sad to loose a mate but he lived a good long life.
My condolences geland.
Remember the good times.

Thanks guys.
I have just found out that his family is not going to have a funeral service for him either.
All I got is that he is being cremated.
Still inquiring as to where his ashes will be eventually kept .

........ family might not want them......... find a good long bar of suitable steel and fire up the big furnace,add your old mates ashes to the brew and make up a old school Katana or the like......now that would be a fitting thing to hang above fireplace with photo of your mate beside it(or etched into blade steel itself)...mine are to be scattered up in my favourite hunting grounds.
this leads on to another subject for you lot to ponder....IS your will up to date???? ARE YOU SURE????? a good family friend passed away before his time and left one heck of a mess for family to sort out ,legal hassle ongoing for years,son who has worked his entire life on family farm may get shafted by money hungry siblings who want thier share without having put anything in for years.... even access to dear old Mother in nursing home has become a shite fight.....

Sorry for your loss. These folks have said it all and I agree. All the best...
Gil

Sorry your mate passed.
My Dad was born in the same year - he passed away in 2013, though Alzheimers took the person a while before that.
Remember the good times & sod the uncaring buggers who pass for his family.
I spread my mate's ashes by his favourite river, along with his Mum's that I found in the house.
Found his Dad's subsequently whilst clearing the house & they'll mostly go in the same place, though I'll take some to Poland next year & scatter them in the town of his birth.