10/07/1931 – 17/02/2025
Born in 1931, Brian was a proud Wesley boy who made his mark as a businessman, a keen and successful international sailor and global traveller, but most fondly, a committed and proud family man.
Brian and wife Barbara (MLC Elsternwick 1948) were married in the Wesley Chapel at the St Kilda Road Campus in 1956. With two daughters, Julie and Lindy, arriving when Wesley was a boy’s college, Brian had to wait until the arrival of granddaughter Rachael Carroll (Dacy) (OW1994) before the Wesley tradition could continue.
Brian was a regular feature at St Kilda, Sandringham and Safety Beach Yacht Clubs, where he and his crew raced on Port Phillip Bay on his various dinghies and yachts, all named ‘Barnstormer’. Brian and Barbara represented Australia in the 1978 Fireball championships in Thailand, with Brian at the helm and Barb, all 50kgs of her, on the trapeze.
Alongside managing property and a yacht chandlery business, Brian found time to travel the entire globe with Barbara, sharing adventures with many friends and later, his children and grandchildren. This kept Brian extremely fit well into his 80s and 90s and he was still able to drive, sail and ferry around his six great-grandchildren.
Brian happily attended the 2024 Founders' Day Lunch, proudly singing ‘Grey Towers’ alongside his granddaughter and fellow collegians. He was a special man who lived life to the full. While he will be greatly missed by Barbara, Julie, Lindy, Tory and six great-grandchildren (a seventh is on the way), we can only but celebrate a brilliant man and a tremendous life well lived.
Contributed by Rachael Carroll (Dacy) (OW1994)