Rockhampton youth pastor Luke Walford farewelled after shark attack

More than 1000 people have gathered to honour the life of a shark attack victim and beloved youth pastor who brought countless others “along on his life’s journey.”

Cathedral of Praise youth pastor Luke Walford tragically died after a shark attack off the Central Queensland coast.

Pastor Luke Walford - loved by all who knew him, a gentle yet enthusiastic soul, always remembered as the adventurous spirit.

With those words, Luke’s long-time work colleague at Rockhampton’s Cathedral of Praise Church, Pastor Greg Frost, farewelled his mate at a funeral service on Tuesday.

Luke, 40, was fatally bitten on the neck by a shark on December 28 while spearfishing with family at Humpy Island, off Queensland’s Yeppoon coast in.

Greg told those in attendance at the service, about 1200 people plus many others watching online via livestream, if his “life with Luke” had a subtitle it would be “a life of close shaves and near misses.”

Pastor Greg Frost speaking at Luke Walford’s funeral service.

“Even though I’m 10 years older, I only had about 10 minutes more common sense than what Luke had,” Greg joked.

“How do you do justice to a life like Luke’s with such a short time to share it?

“We could fill hours with stories and memories of this remarkable young man.

“If each of us were to share our stories today, the picture would be clear and fuller of a man we were privileged to live our lives with.”

Greg said he and Luke had spent every day together for the past 10 or 12 years as work colleagues, but they had known each other for nearly 25 years (since Luke was a kid).

Pastor Luke Walford, 40, loved spearfishing.

Greg added that what surprised him over all of those years, was the number of people that Luke “brought along on his life’s journey.”

“No-one was too low, and no-one was too hard (for Luke),” Greg said.

Greg told how one day, he was standing in his own backyard with a young man he’d only just met.

“Luke had dropped him off and disappeared to run an errand.

“So I asked this young man how he knew Luke.

“He said: ‘I don’t. I only just met him. He found me on the side of the road’.”

Luke Walford, a youth pastor at Cathedral of Praise Church in North Rockhampton.

Greg explained the young man who’d been standing on the side of the road had no shirt, no shoes, and was wearing an old pair of dirty stubbies (shorts).

“So began (a) months’ long journey with this young man as we got him through rehab.

“Luke organised accommodation and care (for the man), he would pick me up for home visits, and he would take this young man out for ice cream.

“And as you all know, Luke didn’t let ‘em go.

“Not until he knew they were well, or until they said that they’ve had enough.

“I bump into people regularly who say: ‘Yeah I know Luke. He helped me. Move house, take my pet to the vet, ran me to the beach to see family, and got my kid out of trouble.”

Greg said Pastor Claude Fingleton had asked him to join the Cathedral of Praise staff in September, 1999.

Senior Pastor Claude Fingleton speaking at Luke's funeral service.

He said it was then he officially met the Walford family including (teenage) Luke “the adventurer.”

“On my first home visit to Creek Street, I was directed by (Luke’s) mum and dad to go out the back.

“There I found Luke and his mate hurling rocks, or whatever else they could find, at each other.

“One was up a tree and the other was taking shelter behind a drum.

“It was a fine welcome for me to pastoral ministry.

“Christian families often adopt their children and youth pastors of necessity - we have an extra seat at the table and are often invited to birthday parties and family functions, and are welcomed as special guests.

“Both of these are an awesome and a privileged responsibility.

“I want to thank (Luke’s parents) for involving me in their kids’ lives.”

Musical tributes were part of the service to celebrate Luke's life.

Greg recalled that Luke was “always up for an adventure.”

“Young Luke and I would take our homemade go carts to the top of Mount Archer and ride them straight down the side of the hill until we hit something solid, something we couldn’t get past.

“Then we dragged them all the way up to the top, and start all over again.

“Irresponsible you say? Yes, absolutely. Fun? You bet.

“Then we’d sit down and talk for hours - he would be over at my place for some advice on how to fix his car, or how to win a girl’s heart, or some detail he’d missed in our youth leaders planning meetings.

“Luke’s approach to everything was the same - always flat out.

“With little patience but always being present, (young) Luke was the go-to guy when you needed an extra pair of hands.

“We spent hours at the workshop building props for musicals, fixing things for the church and working on projects together.

“(Luke’s dad) would often say to us: ‘Are you boys turning that job into a career? I’m glad I’m not paying you by the hour’.”

Greg said for Luke, it was “always for love.”

“His heart was as big as his chest.

“And it needed to be, to fit all of the people he loved in.”

Luke Walford with wife Kayelene.

Throughout Tuesday’s service, many people young and older, spoke about what Luke meant to them and what he did for them.

Pastor Luke’s dedication to helping others shone through in story after story.

His list of achievements, both professionally and personally, far too many to list here.

The service heard about his love for wife Kayelene and it was crystal clear that Luke left an indelible mark on countless lives.

Earlier, Luke’s siblings told how since birth, Luke kept his parents “on their toes” with his “inquisitive nature, impulsiveness and fearlessness.”

“Always extremely competitive, Luke definitely won the ‘most trips to the hospital award’.

“With his first trip being when he was only one year old - while jumping on the bed, he fell on the end of the bed, cracked his lip and had to get stitches.

“He crushed his finger - needed more stitches.

“Dropped a machete on his foot - more stitches.

“Playing tiggy after church one night, he fell on a brick window sill and needed lots of stitches.”

The siblings said when Luke was a youngster and old enough, his love of adventure was cultivated by going shooting, hiking, camping and fishing with his dad and family.

“There were so many stories and adventures that it would be impossible to list them all.”

Top of the class at Ag College where he quickly became known by fellow students as “Preach”, his passion for evangelise to fellow students marked a change in his career trajectory.

Cathedral of Praise Senior Pastor Claude Fingleton said Luke loved God and believed “that life was to be lived and enjoyed, and not to be endured.”

“And he lived it to the full,” Mr Fingleton said.

Originally published as Rockhampton youth pastor Luke Walford farewelled after shark attack