Funeral service held for crash victim John Southern

Poignant lyrics have been read aloud to those who gathered for the funeral of a dad and businessman who died in a Fraser Coast crash.

The lyrics of Frank Sinatra’s My Way were read out during a heartbreaking funeral service held to honour a much-loved crash victim.

The lyrics of Frank Sinatra’s My Way were read out during a heartbreaking funeral service held to honour a much-loved crash victim.

John Southern, 56, died on March 28, 2025, at Glenorchy when a white Isuzu D-Max travelling on the Bruce Highway collided with his grey Toyota HiLux near Six Mile Road.

A funeral service was held for Mr Southern at the Heritage Chapel at Maryborough Crematorium, where dozens gathered to pay their final respects to the Owanyilla man.

Funeral director Leora Kirk said Mr Southern was a much-loved father, grandfather, brother, son, cousin and friend.

She said it was hard to bear the loss of someone close when you feel they had gone too soon.

“There is no way to ease that pain, but when we lose someone we love, life goes on,” she said.

“So it also important to think about the things that you are glad about, for there have been plenty, and these are what will keep you going and in time help you smile again.”

Ms Kirk urged those gathered to remember their most joyous memories of Mr Southern.

She then read lyrics from My Way, words the family had chosen to remember their beloved dad and son.

“To say the things he truly feels, and not the words of one who kneels, the record shows I took the blows, and did it my way,” Ms Kirk said.

Mr Southern had lived his life by his own rules, she said.

“If you were meeting John for the first time, he could easily be described as socially awkward,” she said.

“He possessed a strong set of personal values, which arguably could be the difference between getting to know him and remaining a stranger.”

John Southern, 56, died on Marsh 28, 2025, when a white Isuzu D-Max travelling north on the Bruce Highway has collided with a grey Toyota HiLux travelling south near Six Mile Road.

When comfortable, Mr Southern quickly showed his kind heart, offered opinions and showed his more humorous side, Ms Kirk said.

As a youngster he had spent a lot of time in boats fishing and catching prawns as well as playing soccer.

He later worked at a meat works, honing his skills at butchery, which saw him travel around the Wide Bay.

Mr Southern had a passion for golf and was a member of Goomeri Golf Club.

“This was a time of obsession. Some may even recall him wearing his golf shoes non-stop for days on end, even off the golf course, at the pub or even at a wedding here and there,” Ms Kirk said.

Mr Southern had been a father of three and was strict but supportive, determined to provide the best for his kids.

He started a successful business working as a fibre optics technician, Ms Kirk said, and later bought a farm at Owanyilla.

Mostly recently Mr Southern’s passion had turned to horse racing, purchasing a few horses outright while owning percentages in 13 plus racehorses.

“Regardless of whether we thought he was crazy or not, it was his obsession and his did it for his enjoyment,” Ms Kirk said.

A little-known fact about Mr Southern was his support for the community, providing food for the homeless and sponsorship to sporting teams in the area.

A montage of photos of moments from Mr Southern’s life was then played for those gathered.

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Originally published as Funeral service held for crash victim John Southern