Sep2013_Robert Cecil Goldstiver

15-06-1948 to 07-08-2013
Rob was born in Ingham on June 15th, 1948 to Cec and Joyce and raised in North Queensland.

He was a fitter and turner by trade after an apprenticeship at the Ingham Sugar Mill.  In his 30’s he became a financial planner – he said he didn’t get to know many people working in a workshop and he was certainly a ‘people’ person.   

Rob’s sense of adventure

Rob always had a thirst for knowledge and new adventures.  He took flying lessons at 17 and gained his private pilot’s licence which he retained for over 40 years.  At 19 he enrolled himself in Outward Bound – a survival course on the Hawkesbury River where, for three weeks, he tested his stamina, courage and ingenuity.  He always said he was very shy before then, but after successfully completing the course, he realized he could accomplish anything he set his mind to.  For a year he travelled around New Zealand where he had a dozen different jobs ranging from working in his trade to loading butter into cargo holds, so that he could see as much of the country as he possibly could and get to know the locals.   Some of the people he met there have become lifelong friends.

He boarded a ship to Canada where he met Linda and sweet talked her into marrying him – actually he would always say that he just got off the ship, couldn’t speak the language and found himself at the altar.  With the same sense of adventure, Rob and Linda spent their honeymoon hitchhiking right across Canada.  

Rob loved Australia and especially the bush.  He and Linda, along with good friends, have been camping across the Simpson Desert several times.  I especially remember when Teresa and I joined Rob and Linda and Roger and Caroline for our first bush experience to the Flinders Rangers – we were the bush camping novices and we loved it.  He encouraged many others to get out there and explore.  Remember the red troopie?  There were hiking trips in Tasmania and also in New Zealand, a safari in Africa and other adventures.  He still had plans for South America and Antarctica.

He would go shooting out west for feral pigs with Dave, Gordo, Paul and others.  Rob became the camp cook and the meals were great – but there were plenty of jokes about how long everyone had to wait.  He introduced them all to a good drop of red.  

Erin, Andrew and Brian fondly remember Christmas’s camping at Stradbroke Island, swimming in the surf and water-skiing on the lake.

Accepting a challenge, Rob went trekking in Nepal and, with his usual confidence and generosity, he showed up at the airport with 14 bottles of wine which he had bubble wrapped and promptly told the other 6 in the group that they had to carry 2 bottles each.  These people he hardly knew and they thought he was crazy but didn’t dare argue.  Apparently the topic of conversation each day became which bottle of wine they would open in the evening and making sure they all got their share.  Good friends were made on that trip.

Rob and his best mate Brian walked the Kokoda Track where he was touched by the history of the battlefields where an Uncle of his had fought in WWII.

Rob’s service to the community

As a young man Rob served in the CMF (Citizens Military Force) for 6 years.  

In Dayboro – Rob was a member of Apex and then Lions.  He would run the Clean-Up Australia Day Campaign every year for Lions and was an active participant in many other community events.  Rob spent many weekends helping construct the Dayboro Scout Den, dragging sons Brian and Andrew along, and he convinced the Queensland Governor into coming along for the official opening.  

He proudly carried the Olympic Torch on his birthday in 2000.  Got a real kick out of the oldies at Eventide in Scarborough singing happy birthday to him as he ran by.

Rob was very proud of his children Erin, Andrew and Brian and daughter-in-law Emily and loved to spend time with his 3 grandchildren, Eddie, Marcus and Amy.  He always encouraged them to take a chance, work hard and not be afraid of making a mistake.

Rob’s passion for aviation

Rob was passionate about aviation.  Over the years he towed gliders and took up parachutists.  The family went on holidays and he flew friends to various destinations.  He also flew Angel Flights, carrying people out west back to Brisbane for medical treatment.  For a while Rob was a director of the Qantas Founders Museum.  

A Tommie flew over during the service and this was one that Rob had an ownership in.  He would have loved the gesture.  Indeed many of us would remember Rob leaping up and going outside to see what kind of plane was flying over!  He could tell a lot just by the sound.

He went flying with his grandsons, Eddie and Marcus and pilot friend Douglas only a month ago and ever since the two boys want to be pilots when they grow up.

Rob’s love of good red wine

From other comments earlier you will have gathered by now that another of Rob’s passions was good red wine.  With Rob we developed an extension to the Dayboro Saturday Morning Walking Group by arranging walks every Tuesday and Thursday evening.  We would alternate houses and always shared a bottle of red or two – sometimes three!!! – after earning it of course with a good walk first.  Lorelle would try to argue that we hadn’t walked far enough!!  Us blokes often thought to the gate and back was far enough!!!  Sometimes it would rain and we would have the wine anyway!!

He always encouraged others to appreciate good red wine.  I remember his good friend Craig Doyle saying he was worried if the wine he brought to dinner at Rob and Linda’s place would be good enough for Rob!!

Rob’s generosity

Rob was always ready in times of trouble and would lend a hand to anyone in need.  He inspired generosity in others.  Two years ago after the big floods caused so much heartache in Qld, Rob and Linda loaded up their Landcruiser in Sydney with boxes of fruit and vegies which they then drove back to Dayboro and distributed to families trying to cope with cleaning up after the flood.  Rob always said there was more pleasure in giving than receiving.

Rob’s engaging character 

Rob had opinions on everything and loved a debate.  He would often lob in hand grenades and then sit back with a big grin on his face as others took the bait – including me!!!  Rob would have a strong point of view on certain issues.  You’d know the challenge you faced if you were on the other side of that point of view!  Rob would certainly call out bullshit as he saw it.

We will remember Rob for:

His hearty laughter

His love of his family and friends

His honesty  

Loyalty in business to his partner and to his clients

Intolerance of fools 

Sharing a meal and a good drop of red with friends

Talking to the birds in the morning as he sat outside with his cup of tea

His way of inspiring people to take a chance, take on a challenge, work hard and then have fun

For Linda and family it is his courage and dignity in facing a tough battle with cancer.  He never complained about his illness or questioned “why me?”  –  He just got on with the business of living.  In hospital he gave his usual cheek to the doctors and nurses and even managed to crack a joke or two in his final few days.  He was more concerned about Linda and his family around him and how they were coping.  He gave them the strength to nurse him to the end, at home, where he wanted to be.  

Rob lived a full life in his 65 years.  Once he touched your life, you never forgot him.  He was a strong man, he was a good man.  He wasn’t perfect but you could put your trust in him.  

He said to Linda when they got married that “life with him might not always be easy but it would never be dull” and it certainly never was.

God bless you mate, rest in peace.

By Dave Quinn

(Close friend of Rob and Linda).

 

It was Rob Goldstiver who first put forward the need for a concept of what we now have as the Dayboro First Responders Group – borne out of an incident where an ambulance had to respond from elsewhere at a gathering he was at, as the Dayboro crew were already called out.  Ed.