Trevor Stephens remembered after tragic death at Berserker

A beloved Qld grandfather with a Santa Claus beard and passion for diagnosing and fixing cars, is being remembered as the “glue” that held his family together after he died in a freak accident.

The family of Trevor Stephens are remembering him for his kind heart and love of cars.

The family of a Rockhampton man, who was fatally trapped under his car, are remembering the beloved father, grandfather, great grandfather and husband for his love of cars, kind heart and the joy he brought to many.

Trevor Stephens, 86, tragically died at his Berserker home on Friday, June 14, while doing what he loved most - working on cars.

Emergency crews were called to the property but he could not be saved.

The news of his death shocked his family and sparked an outpouring of community support.

Trevor’s grandson, Adam Stephens, said he’d only seen his grandfather just hours before receiving the heartbreaking news.

“The shock itself was…there was a magnitude of it,” he said.

“We had just seen my grandfather a couple of hours before getting the phone call, he was driving in his Pajero to take some kids to school…then we got that phone call to say he passed.”

Trevor Stephens, his wife Kim and their four children Jason, Tony, Tam and Tracey.

Trevor was married to his wife Kim for more than 50 years and the couple shared a large family.

Adam said the family was so large, it was hard to even put a number on how many grandchildren he had.

“He had a lot of extended people and a lot of people who called him grandad even if he wasn’t related by blood,” he said.

“He had an extremely massive circle of people who called him grandad.

“He loved every bit of the family, he was literally the glue that held the family together.”

Adam said grandfather was also a hard worker who had done stints on cane farms, in cotton fields and mechanic workshops.

“We always said the day grandad stops, would be the day he dies, he’s never not just sitting down,” he said.

“He’s always on the go, I think it’s either boredom or he’s so used to constantly running around…he never sat still for very long.”

Remembering his grandfather as someone who would give the “shirt off his back” to those he thought needed it more and “never really let life’s hardships and negativity affect him”, Adam said he “was just the kind of guy who was humble, he’d get around on his little scooter and it wouldn’t matter if you were a stranger, friend, or family he’d stop and have a yarn”.

“He absolutely loved having a yarn,” he said.

Adam Stephens and his partner share a special moment with Trevor.

“For hours he would just talk and talk and talk, and the hours would just go by and he’d enjoy every second of it.”

He recalled many fond memories of his grandfather from driving around his green bus to his unique slang.

“My grandfather had very interesting slang, he was never rude…whenever he would burp or toot he would say ‘scusus, scusus’ but he had such a funny tone and said it in such a funny way that everyone would just crack up,” he said.

“Grandad drove a nice big green bus, it was a famous little bus around town, he would pick us up from school, he dropped us off…there was not a person in town who didn’t know who drove that bus.”

Adam said as well as bringing joy to his own family, Trevor also brought joy to so many other children around the festive season.

Adam Stephens shared treasured photos of his grandfather Trevor who died in an accident while working on a car in his backyard.

“He’s got a bit white, nice beard and around Christmas kids loved seeing him around because it would remind them of Santa Claus,” he said.

“Christmas was his favourite season because he literally looked like Santa Claus and so many kids would go up to him and call him Santa and it would be a field day for him, he would be absolutely stoked and happy he could bring some sort of joy to someone else.”

But while he adored his family and loved bringing smiles to so many others, one of his biggest passions was cars.

“Grandad has been working on cars for decades, he’s an unqualified mechanic but he would put any mechanic in Rockhampton under a shoe,” Adam said.

“He is honestly probably one of the most qualified, unqualified mechanics I’ve ever known.

“There was a situation where my sister’s car just needed a couple of nuts and bolts changed. He took the entire engine apart and then he cleaned everything and put it back together.

Trevor and his granddaughter on her wedding day.

“He didn’t have a manual, he just took it all to pieces, he absolutely loved just taking cars apart and putting them back together.

“There wasn’t a car he hasn’t rebuilt…he did it up until the day he passed, he was in his element.”

Trevor’s family has set up a GoFundMe page, with a goal of $4000, to give him the “send off he deserves”.

“Our grandad loved working on cars and loved helping anyone he could,” his granddaughter Samantha Walkingshaw wrote on the page.

“Even after doctors and medical teams and his own family told him to take it easy that was never an option for grandad he was determined as ever to finish what he started.

“Our grandad would give you the shirt off his own back just to keep a complete stranger warm if he had too. He was adored by everyone.

“He loves with his whole heart. He will forever be missed.”

To make a donation to the GoFundMe, visit the campaign page.