More than 450 people farewell truck driver Barry ‘Moose’ English who died on November 5
By Ruza Zivkusic | November 14, 2011
More than 450 people attended the funeral of truck driver Barry ‘Moose’ English who died while travelling on the Hume Highway recently.
The father of three daughters was well known in the community and was a member of the Country Fire Authority (CFA), his wife Dianne says.
The 54-year-old died in the early hours of November 5 when his vehicle crossed a barrier on the highway near Wallan and struck a tree.
He was working as a contractor for Primo Haulage and TNT Express and was returning from work at the time of the accident.
“I actually didn’t think it would ever happen to me but it did,” Dianne says.
“He used to drive to Canberra and Adelaide for the first few years then just to Canberra. He used to catch up with his mates on the roads and he just enjoyed driving trucks.
“He was a lovely man that enjoyed his job, his family and friends and helping the community when he could in the CFA,” she adds.
The couple had been married for 26 years.
His funeral was held last Saturday at Fawkner Memorial Park, in Melbourne. English joined the CFA in 1997 and was a fire fighter until last year.
“Barry was a big influence on the junior brigade for many years, with his three daughters all being junior members,” the CFA says.
Victorian MP Liz Beattie, who paid tribute to English in Parliament last week, says English played an active role in his local community and will be “sadly missed by all who knew him”.
“The passing of Barry is yet another sad reminder of the devastating impacts of road accidents and I am extremely saddened by the events that took place,” she says.