Liam Doumergue, T-Jay Petrass: Lifelong best mates’ final farewell in Mackay
Their coffins laid side-by-side as family and friends gathered to remember two teenagers who had been inseparable since prep.
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Their coffins laid side-by-side as family and friends gathered to remember two teenagers who had been inseparable since prep.
Liam Doumergue, T-Jay Petrass and Eleanor Cunington — all 19 – were coming home from a night of tenpin bowling when they crashed into a Great Wall Ute around 10:30pm Friday, July 18, on the Mackay Ring Road.
T-Jay Terrence Petrass was the much loved son of Terry and Michelle, loved brother and brother-in-law of Rebecca, Nathan, Kiah and Steve, and Kaylah and Jason.
He was also a beloved grandson, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend.
Liam Thomas Doumergue was a much loved son of Rebecca and Neil, brother of Grace, Nicolas, Kaiden and cherished grandson and dearly loved by all of his aunties, uncles and cousins.
The funeral opened with the tearful sounds of Avril Lavigne’s Slipped Away.
“Oh, it's so sad I hope you can hear me I remember it clearly.
“The day you slipped away.
“Was the day I found it won't be the same.”
T-Jay and Liam’s celebration of life service was held at Newhaven Chapel in Mackay.
Liam and T-Jay were remembered as well mannered and respectful young men who were both kind hearted.
“If something needed doing, the boys would be there,’’ the service heard.
“They were a very unique pair. Apparently, they didn’t care what other people thought. Their mums laughed when they gave an account of T-Jay going on Liam’s first date with him.
Rebecca and Michelle said the boys were very adventurous and they loved the outdoors and they described how the boys enjoyed riding their motorbikes. and how they liked to get out fishing and crabbing whenever they could.
Liam and T-Jay loved music and particularly enjoyed listening to music from the ‘80s. They both also learned to play the guitar.
When asked what they would miss about the boys, they said there wasn’t just one thing, they were going to miss everything.
Liam’s mum, Rebecca remembered when he was born and “feeling this unbelievable, overwhelming, flooding of love, like I had never felt before.
“I remember thinking: How in the world is it possible to feel this much love for this little human I have only just met?”
“And that was the beginning of almost 20 years of unconditional love.”
Liam enjoyed a special bond with his Pop, his first friend and playmate.
It was at Seaforth State School that Liam and TJ became friends and inseparable since.
She said in his life he “crammed more fun, more excitement, more everything in his short 19 and a half years” than she had in her life.
Her partner Neil had taught him how to fix a motorbike, rebuild motors, how to shave ‘not very well’ and about ‘whiskey and women’.
“Liam was the best big brother, especially over the last four years, when he matured and really grew into himself.”
“He had a real love for simple things, playing his guitar, going for rides on his motorbike, tracking down new water holes to swimming, fishing, crabbing, gaming, fishing with his mates.
“They were the moments that made him the happiest. So now all we can do is hold tight to the memory... the adventures, the quiet moments, and the chaos, and all the things that make you human.”
“You left us far too soon, but your spirit will everywhere, in the places you love, the people you’ve touched and the bonds that will never be broken.”
“Goodbye my boy. I love you.’’
T-Jay was described as a ‘gentle soul’ and quietly spoken but when he had something to say people listened.
He loved motorbikes all his life and had only just got his motorbike licence before he died.
As a younger kid he loved his scooter, and Lego, and was known for his stunts, including one day leaping off the veranda on his scooter and ending up in hospital.
When asked by doctors if he could tell them what happened he replied. “Absolutely I came off my Harley Davidson.’’
As a kid, he loved animals, including the cows and chickens on the property as well as doing timber work with his dad.
“Throughout his life he gave everything a go.’’
He worked in landscaping and gardening in one of his jobs, and loved machinery and trucks.
T-Jay’s big sister Kaylah struggled to say goodbye.
“I honestly don’t know how to begin because I can’t believe I’m standing here trying to find words for something that is impossible.
“I can’t believe my poor brother is really gone. We have lost someone so special far too soon.
“Life hasn’t been the same since you, my beautiful brother, has been taken… I would do anything to have you here with us again.”
“You were just not my little brother. You were my best friend.
“My family and I will carry and cherish the memory we had with him forever.’’
She said it made her so happy that T-Jay had a friend like Liam.
“You boys were like brothers always going on adventures together.’’
“T-Jay and Liam, fly high our beautiful boys.’’
Teachers from Seaford State School gave tribute to the boys.
“There’s a beautiful saying that wrings true. From the moment a child walk through the door of your classroom on their very first day of school they become part of your family,’’ teacher Lara Wright said.
“For me personally that day was when T-Jay was four years old and he walked into my Mindy group.”
“When Liam and T Jay first walked through the Seaforth door in 2011 with their unmistakably cheeky grins they stamped their names on all of our hearts.”
Mel Francis said: “A simple fact of Liam coming back to pick his siblings up from school the look on Nicholas’ face said it all, that same love, same pride it was so heartwarming to see,”
“That’s the kind of friendship we can all hope for, unconditional, steady and honest. the kind where silence is comfortable and loyalty is never a question.”
Liam and T-Jay, also students at Mackay North State High School, had known each other since they were two years old, Liam’s mum Rebecca Rose Doumergue shared earlier.
“They have been inseparable since prep”.
Their tragic deaths has hit the Mackay community hard and came during a series of fatal accidents in the space of days in Queensland.
More than 420 donations have been made to a GoFundMe fundraiser, raising more than $36,000 to help with the costs of the three teenagers’ funerals.
Eleanor Cunington was farewelled in a service on Wednesday where her loved ones dressed in bright colours to honour the memory of the 19 year old with “a wonderful, quirky sense of humour”, who loved animals, her family and friends.
A heartbroken family member told how “she was a great listener, caring and thoughtful”.
“She brought joy and light into all of our lives and we were so lucky to have had her and we will miss her everyday,” she said during the service.
Ms Doumergue previously told this publication said she and Michelle Petrass — T-Jay’s mum — raised the boys together over the years, and now feel like they lost two sons.
“Liam made Mother’s Day cards for her every year,” Ms Doumergue said, adding Liam would spend almost all of his weekends with T-Jay at Michelle’s home.
“I’m so glad that Liam had two mums. Not everyone is that lucky.”
Liam and Eleanor — known as Ellie — had dated throughout high school before she left to live in Scotland for a year.
“They had all just reconnected,” Ms Doumergue said.
Liam and T-Jay had only just started to get their lives together, with full-time jobs and felt the joy of having their own money in the bank.
“Then it’s ripped away,” Ms Doumergue said.
Colleagues of Liam’s at his workplace, Keen2Kill Pest Control said he was known for his kindness, gentleness, good humour, and hard work.
“His absence leaves a hole in our hearts that cannot be filled,” they wrote.
“Our entire team is heartbroken. Liam wasn’t just a colleague, he was a valued part of our work family.”
A relative of T-Jay’s, Jason Goodfellow, shared photos of the two of them to Facebook, and said they were “no doubt still having a good time together up top”.
“R. I. P to me little brother T-jay and his best mate Liam,” Mr Goodfellow wrote.
Cathy Stalb created the GoFundMe page for the families of the trio.
“Three of the best of friends lost their lives in a horrific accident, Liam Doumergue, Tjay Petrass and Ellie Cunington,” she wrote.
“But their far too short lived were much more than their final moments earth side and as such they deserve the best services/memorials possible and their families need time and space to learn how to navigate their loss.
“The funds from this GoFundMe will be spread evenly three ways by the families directly to allow the time and funds to process this immense pain.”
Mackay was left reeling by another fatal crash less than 12 hours after the teens were killed.
A North Mackay man, 45, was killed when his motorbike struck a trailer on the intersection of Mackay-Bucasia Rd and the Bruce Highway on Saturday.
Four more people were killed in a Central Queensland crash on the Sunday, marking a horrible 16 lives lost in seven days across the state.
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Originally published as Liam Doumergue, T-Jay Petrass: Lifelong best mates’ final farewell in Mackay
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