Last call for Greytown firefighter
Reece DeMenech, a former member of the Greytown Road Crash Rescue Team member and long-time supporter of the UFBA Road Crash Rescue Challenge, passed away in early May after his battle with cancer. Our thoughts and condolences are with his family, friends and brigade at this time.
From the Greytown RCR Team
Contributed by Denis Fenwick
The Greytown Road Crash Rescue Team has lost one of our long serving team members with the death of Reece DeMenech. Reece was for many years and countless events a tool operator with our team. A 4th placing in the Queensland challenge gave Reece a big thrill and seeing the team placed 1st in the Controlled in Melbourne Challenge brought out the best in him.
Unfortunately the cancer he developed robbed him of both his health and the ability to compete as a front line team member. However over time, after major surgery, Reece was able to become our official reserve and gave a huge amount of his time in helping the team with training and travelling with the team in that position. Such was his dedication that he and his wife Leslie helped with fundraising and supporting the team right to the last few days of his life. Alice, their youngest daughter and a member of the brigade, also helped out as a patient during training for competitions.
Helping out with little fuss was his trademark and last year Reece (even though he was undergoing Chemo) was a willing volunteer at the Australasian & World Road Rescue Challenge held at Upper Hutt.
Fishing was his real passion and it was with great pride that Reece told me (a fisherman too) on his last outing two weeks before he died that he, his boat and crew got 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the (Groper section) Ngawi Fishing club competition day.
Rest easy Reece.
Read more about Reece in the recent article from the Wairarapa Times-Age, written by Amie Hickland.