MAYOR'S MESSAGE: Mal was a shining example for us all

Last week I attended the funeral of a dedicated public servant, Mal Churchill.

Fraser Coast Regional Council disaster planning co-ordinator Mal Churchill.Photo: Contributed. Picture: 2

LAST week I attended the funeral of a dedicated public servant, Mal Churchill.

Standing in the overflowing crowd, literally outside the building, I was listening and watching through an open window and reflecting on what Mal meant to everyone there and how he lived his life.

It occurred to me that Mal's life can be summed up in one word - service.

He lived to serve others, and he served our community with distinction.

While his passing is a great loss to his family and community, we can all be inspired by the way he lived his life and how he sought to make the world a better place through practical efforts every day.

Mal served in the Queensland Police Service for more than four decades before working in youth justice and then with the Bundaberg and Fraser Coast councils.

As our disaster response co-ordinator he helped to make our community safer and more resilient.

We can all honour Mal by carrying on his core values such as integrity, initiative, teamwork and service.

We have a choice about how we live our lives.

We can choose to do something kind today; to help someone with no expectation of reward. This is the way Mal lived every day.

Like all police officers, Mal undertook many acts of bravery throughout his career.

We are not all presented with the dangerous situations he volunteered for through his service, but we are presented with decisions every day and it is our character that determines how we respond and live our lives.

Mal will be fondly remembered right across the region as someone who lived his life with honour, selflessness and integrity.