(by Rob Tait on behalf of the Emu Park Online team)
Tribute to Ross
Sadly passed away 5th November 2011
A friend to this Website (www.emuparkonline.com.au) and a Friend of Emu Park
Ross Coulter will be missed by many people in Emu Park
Although I have only known Ross a few years through the Lions club, I am aware of the many lives he touched, and his enormous contribution to the Emu Park community.
Ross was the driving force behind the success of the Emu Park Art Gallery. He worked tirelessly to ensure Ros Beasley’s vision for showing off the work of local artists was carried forward. He also showed many of his own fine works at the gallery at the soiree’s held over the last few years. In 2003 Ross embarked on a trip to Europe to paint and draw on the WWW1 battlefields on the Western Front on the River Somme and around Ypes (Ieper). This resulted in 23 paintings that were exhibited throughout Central Queensland. Ross produced many fine artworks with many mediums. He often said that the choice of medium was dependant on the work and the desired effect. Examples of his art can be seen on the Gallery website emuparkgallery.com/rosscoulter. An entry found online at a discussion group, probably a year or two ago “Ross Coulter and Brian Kehoe were painting away happily at Emu Park even as recently as the middle of this year.”
An active member at the RSL, one of his personal projects was the research of WW2 graves. For some years he maintained a website based on the huge amount of research he had done.
On the occasions when the Lions club headed over to the bowling green, it became obvious that Ross had played a little lawn bowls. I believe he had been a member of the club for quite some time. He was very patient with all us newbies as he explained and helped us enjoy the game.
I of course know Ross mostly from the Lions club. He was a member of Lions for 25 years and was the recipient of several awards for his untiring service. Although before my time in Lions, I believe he held positions such as President and while I have been in the club Treasurer and Tale Twister. He never did let the facts ruin a good story and often entertained the group with a story and a tale based loosely on the recent activities of one or more members. He was very involved in the running of Oktoberfest until his health prevented him from taking such an active role. I know he looked forward to this every year and even though it was an effort he was there at the last Oktoberfest held recently.
It is indeed a sad time that we reflect on Ross’s life in our community.
He will be missed by all who were touched by him.