Community gathered to farewell Frank Curran on December 4, with hundreds of people in attendance to honour his life.
The sudden death of Frank on November 24, aged 69, has not only left a hole in the Curran family, but within the region.
Born at Nyah West Hospital on November 2, 1950, Frank was the eldest of two children (brother Brian) to Bert and Beatrice Curran.
Frank progressed from the local state school in Wood Wood to St Mary’s in Swan Hill and then onto St Vincent’s in Bendigo.
The brothers used to ride to school in Wood Wood, about five miles away, in a horse and gig before the horse died.
The pair were then forced to share the lone family bike and, naturally, neither were willing to dink on the bike.
So one would ride half the way, drop the bike and walk the rest, and the other would walk before picking up the bike halfway.
After his schooling, Frank returned to the family farm.
With family and the farm being his two passions, Frank worked for his parents before taking over the farm.
Cropping a massive 500 acres a year, Frank took pride in ploughing ground, planting crops, harvesting or working with the cattle or sheep.
While he loved his prized yellow Holden one tonner with a V8 motor, his best work was on the tractor.
Frank was best known as Frank-O-Steer, with his straight driving the the envy of neighbours and leaving the children nervous whenever they hopped in the driver’s seat.
Despite his love of the farm, his mother was quietly worried Frank would stay single forever before he found Phyllis Scott (now Curran).
The pair married April 1973 — and Frank was found in the tractor working only hours before the wedding as farm work stopped for nobody.
Along the way, they welcomed Matt, Brendan and Lou, and he eventually became a grandfather of seven — Breeanna, Emily, Madison, Jack, Bridie, Ethan and Elijah.
During Frank’s time, there would be several habits of his many would remember.
From the day he was married until his last day, Frank carried the same lunch box and tea bottle, covered by a woollen sock unsuccessfully designed to keep the tea warm.
As a creature of habit, Frank would have biscuits for morning and afternoon smoko, sandwiches for lunch, and fruit and jelly for sweets.
As for tea, meat and vegetables or salad were the go, with fish and chips his treat after church on a Saturday night.
It was often joked whether he wanted more food with his salt and pepper.
He’d usually be found with a cigarette in his mouth, no longer than an inch, as according to him, “there’s plenty left in this one.”
Another love in his life was the Nyah West Football Netball Club, which was then amalgamated into the Nyah Nyah West United Football Netball Club.
Frank earned the nickname of Granite for being hard as a rock on the field.
The centre-half back retired at age 28 due to a farm and young family to look after.
But it was his work off the field afterwards which made him a stalwart of the club, working hard behind the scenes when his sons Matthew and Brendan began playing.
Starting as a junior coach, Frank worked his way up into the committee before serving as president for three years, including their 1992 under 17 premiership.
Frank earned club life membership in 2001, the same year the club became back-to-back senior premiers.
Frank went on to serve as chairman of the Central Murray Football Netball League for four years (2009-2012).
His tireless work for the club and league received the ultimate honour in 2013, receiving a league life membership.
But even after he had earned himself a break from the administrator duties, Frank was regularly found on the sidelines cheering the teams on.
Many whiskeys and cokes were enjoyed at the Nyah Recreation Reserve as Frank enjoyed the social events on offer.
As a lover of sport, Frank was also found on the the tennis court for Nyah West, and also served as president.
Frank rocked the silver Yonnex racquet with a head no bigger than a badminton racquet.
With leg and back issues, Frank and Phyllis moved a short walk away from the footy ground a few years ago.
But it didn’t stop his involvement in the farm, ready to work most mornings and he was a farmer right to the end — the way he would have wanted it.
