A true gentleman, whose charm and humour allowed him to “get away with almost anything”, was remembered with a guard of honour and graveside Fireman ritual on Friday.
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Hundreds attended the funeral of Maxwell ‘Max’ Gray, with Conways Funeral Home overflowing with people who wanted to farewell the Country Fire Authority life member, former-mechanic and talented dance teacher.
Friend and Country Fire Authority operations manager Paul King said he first met Mr Gray as a 16 year old.
“I’m sure you all have people in your lives who you have tremendous respect for; they speak and you listen,” he said.
“Max was that person to me.”
During the service, Mr Gray’s CFA helmet, hat and kit adorned his coffin, alongside his Wodonga Men’s Shed hat.
Mr Gray was posthumously awarded his CFA Life Member 55 Years of Service medal, and Wodonga West Fire Brigade announced their annual member of the year award would be renamed in his honour.
Mr Gray was born on January 20, 1937 in Kyneton where he attended primary and secondary school.
He first joined the CFA ranks as a volunteer in 1955.
“Max would down tools and go to the fire station in the clothes he had on,” Mr King said.
“Being a motor mechanic they were covered in petrol and oil so probably not the best choice of protective clothing.”
In 1963 he became a career officer and was awarded a national medal in 2006 and CFA life membership in 2017.
While living in Ararat, Mr Gray met his future wife Margaret. They married in 1959 and had four children Jennifer, Peter, Gary (dec) and Mark.
“He was an outstanding husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather of ten, great-grandfather of ten, dance partner, firefighter, colleague and good mate,” Mr King said.
“We’re all richer for having had him in our lives.”
Mr Gray’s daughter Jennifer Partl and son Mark Gray paid tribute to their father as a man who loved his family and having a good time.
Son-in-law Marion Partl said Mr Gray enjoyed practical jokes.
Outside the CFA, Mr Gray was a talented dance teacher and Wodonga Men’s Shed member.
CFA member and family friend Ross Coyle shared a story of Mr Gray loosing his false teeth during a fire fight in Geelong, crawling and finding them among the debris, putting them back in and continuing on.
He said Mr Gray had shaped the West Wodonga brigade.
“Rest easy Max, the pumper is in station, the hoses are washed, tested and restowed. We will take it from here,” he said.
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