Ivan Cornwell shares memories of parents Beverley and Geoff

The son of a couple who ended their lives together - in bed, holding hands - has said the family knew they couldn’t live without each other as he shares their unique love story.

Beverley and Geoffrey Cornwell died hand-in-hand in bed at their Hervey Bay home on March 7, 2023, after making the decision to die together on their own terms.

When Ivan Cornwell pictures his beloved parents, they are teenagers chasing each other through the long grass at Point Vernon where they met.

Beverley and Geoffrey Cornwell died hand-in-hand in bed at their Hervey Bay home on March 6, 2023, after making the decision to die together on their own terms.

The couple met as teenagers, fell in love, married and moved to the Darling Downs after answering an ad looking for a station hand.

It was there they welcomed their two sons, Mark and Ivan.

But Hervey Bay was always where they wanted to be and they returned there to raise their family.

Ivan remembers a childhood filled with “nothing but wonderful memories”, including fresh milk from a dairy where Aldi is today and playing with the neighbouring Messer children while the cane fields burned.

His father was the one who meted out discipline, his mother the one who gave her sons affection, although Ivan never doubted his father’s love, which was shown with actions rather than words.

“It was the perfect balance,” he said.

Bev Cornwell with her husband Geoff.

Bev and Geoff loved to dance and were regulars at the Dundowran Hall dances every Friday night.

Geoff was a member of the parks and garden department of the council and alongside colleague Glen Kruger was instrumental in shaping the Bay, including the planting of the fig trees that still grow at Seafront Oval.

The trees always remind Ivan of his father, as does the botanical gardens, where his father was part of a team involved in making the vision a reality.

Bev was a diversional therapist working at Tri-Care and Kirami, where her endless care, kindness and “absolute drive to help people” shone through.

Ivan remembers his parents as “very humble people” who never complained but accepted the cards they were dealt.

The couple had planned to become grey nomads and tour around Australia.

But after Bev was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in December 1993, they realised the dream was no longer possible.

Instead they devoted their time to each other, family and community.

Bev became well known for her history column in the Hervey Bay Observer, which recollected the life, times and families that populated the region.

She also organised the annual reunion of Hervey Bay families, the Golden Originals, ran the local MS group and took on the role of publicity officer at the Heavy Bay View Club.

Through it all, Geoff was her devoted carer, described by their close friend John Andersen as “her legs”.

Ivan and Bev Cornwell at the MS Swimathon.

Ten years ago, in 2013, Geoff was awarded the Queensland MS Carer of the Year award, telling the Fraser Coast Chronicle at the time: “(Bev) said one day, ‘Why don’t you just buzz off and leave me, I don’t want to be a bloody drag on you?’”.

“I said, ‘Wait a minute, when we took our wedding vows I thought it was in sickness and in health, till death do us part and I just hope you would have done the same for me if things were reversed’.”

‘DISEASE THAT SLOWLY TAKES A LITTLE PIECE AT A TIME’

Ivan said the couple and the family had known for a long time that they could not live without each other.

“MS is a cruel disease that slowly takes a little piece at a time, slowly wearing the sufferer down until there is nothing left,” he said.

“Nothing can ever prepare you for the death of your parents.”

Hervey Bay's Bev and Geoff Cornwell died on March 6.

A few months before they died together, Bev, described by Ivan as a “beautiful, radiant person”, had struggled with the worsening effects of MS as her body began shutting down.

In those final weeks, Bev had just wanted to sleep, Ivan said.

Geoff had defined himself as being Bev’s carer.

Even after undergoing a quadruple heart bypass, during which Ivan had helped take care of his mum as Geoff recovered, when he regained his strength he took over the care of his wife again.

‘MUM FOUGHT AN INCREDIBLE BATTLE’

The devotion of his parents is one of a million memories Ivan will always have.

His mother’s beautiful handwriting is another, and how MS had started to affect it towards the end.

Bev’s computer had been her “window to the world” Ivan said, fondly remembering the cheeky emails she would send.

“Mum fought an incredible battle with MS, but without dad’s support she wouldn’t have been able to do half the things she did.

“They were just an amazing couple.”

Ivan said a wake held for his parents had been far from a quiet, sombre affair, with people laughing and telling stories.

He said Bev had looked into Queensland’s Voluntary Assisted Dying options and quickly discovered she would was not eligible as MS was not considered a terminal disease.

“You die with MS, not from MS,” Ivan said.

“MS slowly nibbles away. It just keeps taking, taking and taking.”

“There is a saying about standing on the shoulders of giants, in this case we have been walking in their shadows. It was an honour to have known them.”