Harley Gray

Our son Harley Ronald Gray (“Race” to his mates) was a handsome, tall, strong and athletic young boy who grew into a beautiful but deep thinking man.  He always felt a deep sense of what was right or morally wrong and he was a defender of little kids at primary school when bullies upset them.

The day of his death, his father & mother knew something was very wrong.That morning on the news, his father and him had heard about the 5 young footballers from Wagga Wagga who had died racing a train, he never said anything.  He just got up, walked out and drove to work.

He was only there a short time then drove away and we assume went into the bush a few kilometers away, where he ended his life on a lonely track.   Later that day we noticed a police car pull up outside our house, we looked at each other, held hands and went out to meet the policeman.

Harley was our second child and we have a beautiful but petite daughter, having lost our first son at birth before Harley came into the world, our family was complete. He was so very loved by us, but he did not love himself.    I remember looking around at all the people at his funeral, nearly 1,000,  and thinking “He had no idea how much he was loved”.

We miss his smile, his long arms wrapped around his Mum giving her hugs.  Most of all we miss the future that he, his son and all of us could have had. He was only 19 years, 11months and 5 days when he died.