When she was writing her father’s eulogy, Bill Cosgrave’s daughter Larelle Holloway was told to remember “no-one is superman”.
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But, as Mrs Holloway told a packed Smeaton Presbyterian Church during her father’s funeral on Wednesday, “Bill was bloody close”.
Born on February 16, 1940, Mr Cosgrave grew up at Smeaton, leaving school at 16 to work on the family farm.
“Over the years, Bill’s herd of cows consisted on average of about 80, and, on any given day, he could tell you what the name of the cow was, how old it was, and if it was a good milker or not,” Mrs Holloway said.
After meeting Elizabeth Nicholls at a tennis premiership celebration dinner in 1966, Mr Cosgrave proposed eight months later and a beautiful partnership was formed.
Two daughters followed, Larelle and Desley, who were always keen to help their father on the farm.
“There was nothing better than hearing the sound of the tractor coming down the road, because that meant Bill was close by.”
After 38 years of dairy farming, the Cosgraves sold up and moved to Creswick in 1993.
In semi-retirement, Mr Cosgrave became the Mt Prospect Tennis Association green keeper, only retiring this year due to ill health.
He also returned to school at the age of 53 to complete a recreational turf management course at the School of Mines Ballarat.
However, most people knew Mr Cosgrave through sport. He began his football career at the Clunes Football Club, playing 200 games at full back.
In later years, he coached the Newlyn Football Club under-17s and went on to become club president.
“Bill didn’t do anything in halves you see.”
He also played for Lawrence Tennis Club for 41 years and was a past Mt Prospect Tennis Association president for 15 years and a life member.
The new tennis complex and clubhouse was recently named in his honour.
Mr Cosgrave was also heavily involved with the Smeaton Bowling Club, acting as president for two years, a selector for 18 and becoming an accredited bowls coach six years ago.
Mr Cosgrave, 76, died last Friday after battling cancer.
During Mr Cosgrave’s burial at the Creswick Cemetery, 76 red and black balloons were released in his honour while the Essendon Football Club theme song played.