It is with regret that l advise all personnel that Retired Station Officer John PURCELL (Reg No: 2055) passed away peacefully at Benalla Health on 30 June.
John joined the MFB on 20 March 1964 and served the Brigade and the community until 8 March 1974 when he resigned to take up employment with the Gas and Fuel Corporation; it was there that he became the Chief Fire Officer in charge of fire protection and training. In this capacity John maintained a close contact with the MFB and regularly provided training for promotional courses at the Gas & Fuel training ground, at Dandenong, as well as being a significant contributor to the development of the MFB Flare Off operators course. He also had a long involvement with the Institution of Fire Engineers and the Australian Fire Protection Association.
A funeral service to celebrate John’s life will be held at the Benalla Bowls Club, 25 Arundel Street, Benalla on FRIDAY 5 July commencing at 1100 hours. The service will be followed by a private cremation