Alan Overton’s funeral: Mourners farewell former Eels Leagues Club chairman
The hundreds of lives former Parramatta Eels chairman Alan Overton touched as a father, grandfather, boss, mentor and philanthropist were evident at his moving funeral.
Parramatta
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Hundreds have gathered to farewell former Parramatta Eels and Leagues Club chairman Alan Overton – describing him as a “great bloke”, father, grandfather, boss, mentor and philanthropist.
Eels legends from the 1980s and ‘90s including Brett Kenny and Nathan Cayless joined “Ovo’s” wife Merle, three children Karen, Craig and Grant, 11 grandchildren, politicians, blue and gold-clad footy fans and Scouts leaders for a moving service at Castlebrook Memorial Park in Rouse Hill to farewell Mr Overton, who died on July 28 aged 86.
It was more than a decade after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Hundreds of mourners spilt outside the chapel where Mr Overton’s Eels-emblazoned coffin and blue and gold wreath were placed before a service filled with fond laughter.
His youngest son Grant recalled his mum rounding up the family to watch Parra play at Cumberland Oval while his dad would stay at home.
But in December 1980, that changed when Eels great Ray Price called the family home and convinced the James Hardie chairman to make the company the club’s major sponsor.
“Dad and Mum would go to every game every weekend, and Dad would also go to training sessions,’’ Mr Overton said.
Away from the footy field, Mr Overton built a happy life for his wife and children at Merrylands where they were the first family in Frances St to have a swimming pool and colour television, before moving to Carlingford in the late 1970s.
Mr Overton’s daughter Karen Scanes, whom he called his “fairy” read out the scores of achievements her father earned, from Parramatta Community Father of the Year in 1991 to the Order of Australia Medal.
The former deputy chairman of Scouts NSW was involved in 30 committees including Ronald McDonald House, which he was instrumental in relocating from Camperdown to Westmead in the 1990s.
Through James Hardie, he helped provide affordable building materials for its construction and forged a lifelong bond between the Eels and the charity.
“Before you know it Ovo had created a legacy, an alliance between the House and the Eels,’’ Ronald McDonald House life member Ray Finn said.
Mrs Scanes and Mr Finn explained how instead of carrying the Olympic torch through Parramatta in 2000, Mr Overton chose to run through the far south coast town of Narooma.
He made a deal with a terminally ill child that if he recovered he would run through the town instead of Parramatta.
Sadly, the child died but Mr Overton ran 400m through Narooma with tears streaming down his face.
Mr Finn said Mr Overton would visit sick children from interstate and the Pacific Islands at the House up to three days a week before leaving his signature farewell: “I’m off like a bride’s nightie.’’
Mr Overton was born in Granville and was sent home from Granville Tech High School (now Granville Boys’ High School) because he had no shoes. He returned with a pair three sizes too big.
His eldest grandchild Elliot Scanes told the gathering his grandfather would always show him and his cousins the photo of him with no shoes.
“You’d always show us you worked hard all your life and so of course you wanted us to know that nothing came for free so like many kids we mowed the lawn – only this contrasted with your generosity,’’ he said.
“You’d give us $50 for a 20-minute job.’’
Despite his responsibilities and dedications to community groups – he was also the NSW Scouts deputy leader – family always came first for Mr Overton.
“So despite being one of the busiest people in Parramatta for 10 years you still had the time to pick us up from school at 3pm and look after us for a few hours,’’ Mr Scanes said.
Granddaughter Mandy Overton, “Pop’s little fairy”, was equally spoiled and recalled sleepovers at her grandparents’ home. Mr Overton would often sneak her $50 for a trip to Westfield Parramatta.
“I think he definitely started my shopping addiction,’’ she said.
Trips to a Church St cafe for milkshakes underlined how popular the family patriarch was.
“When we would walk through Parramatta, I used to hold my pop’s hand and every second person who would walk past would say ‘hi Alan, how are you Alan, nice to see you Alan’.
“I would then say to Pop, who was that and Pop would respond and say ‘I have no idea but it was my friend’.
“I would then think as a young child ‘wow my pop is famous’.
“He was not only well known and had a lot of friends but he was kind and friendly to anybody and everybody. Pop you were a wonderful man, an amazing father and an even better grandfather.’’
Former Eels chief executive Denis Fitzgerald said Ovo was a father figure to the Eels in the 1980s and ‘90s.
Before the service concluded to John Farnham’s A Touch of Paradise, Mr Overton’s wife and children placed a bottle of whisky, a beer and ‘80s Eels jersey atop the coffin.
After the funeral, mourners headed to a wake at Parramatta Leagues Club for “Alan’s last beer”.
Former Eels skipper Nathan Cayless, who met Mr Overton as a 17-year-old schoolboy with Parramatta Marist, is still involved in Ronald McDonald House today.
“All the other things he got us involved in and made us realise footy was just a game and there was a lot more to life,’’ he said.
“It wasn’t just about footy, it was just about being a good man. He was always there having barbecues for us after training. He was really good for bringing people together.’’
Steve Ella praised Mr Overton’s compassion.
“Ovo was a great man, but he was also really great for us as players,’’ he said.
“He’s looked after us, always stopped to have a conversation, generous with his time, and all the players loved him.’’
Fellow Eels great Brett Kenny echoed the sentiments of a “great bloke”.
“He would always have a chat to you. If you ever had anything happening in your life, you would talk to Ovo.’’
Steven Edge, who captained Parramatta to their first premierships in 1981, ‘82 and ‘83, lauded Mr Overton’s “unbelievable’’ contributions to charity and football.
“He was a wonderful, wonderful man,’’ he said.
“He was part of the spirit of the Parramatta Eels. What a great man and he will certainly be missed.’’
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