A FORMER Ballarat man killed when he was stung by a bee last week will be buried today.Simon John Quirk, 54, died after he was stung while taking a sip from his can of drink last Monday at Wymah Valley Retreat near Albury.He was on holiday with his partner Barbara Binks and six-year-old daughter Emily.His sister Catherine Quirk described him as a man involved with the community at Navigators before he moved to Dockers Plains near Wangaratta.The former St Patrick's College student worked on farms and in factories in and around Ballarat before he became a truck driver.Ms Quirk said the family was stunned by the accident."It's one of those freakish things," she said."You just think: what happened? How could it be possible? I always worried that he would have an accident driving the trucks and that was something I would dread, that he would have a massive accident."In addition to his love of sport, Mr Quirk also enjoyed working the land.He would enter ploughing competitions and was also an expert at tying knots."I remember him being out at night driving a tractor around with the lights on and the rest of us would be asleep and he would still be going. I don't know where he would get the energy from," Ms Quirk said."He loved camping and the Australian country life and being outdoors. "He was very helpful to people - if anybody needed help. All the neighbours and our family at Navigators all wanted to help him."In the wake of her brother's death, Ms Quirk said it was important people kept drink cans covered if not sipping from them, so a similar accident does not occur in the future.Mr Quirk is survived by four daughters - Sarah, 26, Monica, 20, Jacinta, 20 and Emily six - his brother Thomas and sister Catherine.