Joel moved to Singapore with his family.
Our little redhead amongst his Chinese playgroup friends taken at a concert they put on - pick Joel! 



Let's go ....


Walking down our road to kindergarten


Joel & Friend Luke


In our pool with Clint and Ben


Joel, Clint and Ben


Joel loved Ronald McDonald - perhaps it was the hair that did it .....

Joel starts school at Christian Outreach College, Mansfield, Qld
A lot of friends who Joel met in Primary school, continued on with him to High School, and some had remained friends until the day we lost him.

First day of school

with Mrs Reid Grade 2 teacher


10th birthday with Tom & Daniel 

Starts High School, Christian Outreach College Brisbane

First day of High School 

Joel spent a happy time at High School and despite his parents and teachers encouragement, school work came a definite second to socialising. I know some of his teachers had a bit of a tough time with him occasionally, but he was a loveable character, and most of them were won by his charm. He just assumed everyone loved him and was so much in everyone's face, how couldn't they!


Much appreciation goes to Joel's friends, who kept in touch with him after high school, and we were deeply touched that they and many others attended his memorial service on 24 August 2007.

Some of Joel's teachers and staff from the school were also able to go along, even if for a short while, as it was still a teaching day. Once again, we were deeply touched by those who came along to show their love and respect.

Thank you to one of Joel's teachers who took the time to write us a beautiful letter with her memories of Joel - warts and all. As she said, she took the time and got to know the 'real' Joel', under the sometimes tough exterior. It is something we'll treasure forever.

Graduates from Year 12

Joel with Mum & Dad


School's out .....



Year 12 Formal

Joel & Lacey ready to go ...

Joel starts work at Harvey Norman, Garden City
Joel started work here in the January. Once again he mostly enjoyed his time there, helped by Prue and Caitlin who he worked in the photo lab with. He also made a number of other friends there, who when they left, he managed to keep in touch with.

Unfortunately it was while working here that he had his car accident in August 2006, while doing a delivery.  This resulted in a herniated disc, for which he eventually needed back surgery in March 2007.


Joel & Prue in the photo lab


Joel being a clown as usual


Prue, Caitlin, Joel


One of Joel's friends at work made this for us

In early August Joel had bought a very 'up-market' video camera to start filming for his portfolio. I remember the day he got it, he was so excited showing us all what it could do. He'd started to do some filming and when we found it on his memorial service day someone suggested filming the service, which we did. How sad, but how fortunate we are now to have been able to use his camera that day. I was hoping to put the film on the website, but it's too large a file.

Joel's Mum's tribute from the service

"Joel had a passion for life and lived it to the full. 

Right from the start Joel never did anything in halves. We always joked that with Joel it was all or nothing as no doubt a lot of you here have experienced.
 
He loved music and he loved life. He loved his family and he loved people. If he found anyone with the slightest interest in something common, they were immediately his friend. 

Joel has left us too early and my heart feels as if it’s been broken, but we want today to be a celebration of his time with us. Today you will hear selections of Joel’s music that for some, doesn’t quite fit in with your style, but it was Joel’s music, his passion, the thing he loved most in life after family and friends. 

The family had a chance to say goodbye to Joel yesterday. To our eyes he was peacefully sleeping, but we know he was really in heaven, organising the music and telling the angels to turn up the base. 

Joel got his first tape player when he was just over 12 months old. It had a microphone and he dragged that player everywhere. At the time all the family liked the Beach Boys, with the song Barbara Ann being Joel’s favourite – to the point that he called his tape player his “Barbara Ann” because he was too young to distinguish the names of things. 

I know others will also talk about his passion for music, but it’s impossible to separate the two. 

So many times I would walk by his room and he’d be sitting at his computer with music going, and if he saw me he’d say “come and have a listen to this one, you’ll really like it”. He was always looking for a song which would also appeal to me, and there were many that did. 

He also liked his music loud! I was forever going into his room to tell him to turn it down because the walls were vibrating. Recently he had put some incredibly loud sound system in his car and we could hear him coming down the street. I had to tell him that he needed to turn the bass down when he turned into the street so the neighbours wouldn’t complain. That happened for a few days, but he couldn’t help himself and it was soon as loud as ever. 

Joel and I had a unique relationship, and over the last 18 months with Roy working away from home quite a lot, it was just Joel and I. He was my mate. He was becoming a fine young man and I was proud of him. 

Only four weeks ago I had wanted to see a movie with Joel but as he had other plans I was going to go by myself. On the Friday I was out he called me and said he had changed his mind and wanted to go with me. So we lined up on a Friday night, when he could have been out with his mates, and saw a movie together. He had no qualms about being out with his mum because we were mates. 

He used to phone me and send me text messages on all sorts of things. The moment something happened that he needed to share, either good or bad, he was on the phone. I would tell my friends and work colleagues that he drove me crazy always phoning, but I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way because it meant that he also thought of me as his mate. 

There were times when he was loud and frustrating and talked non-stop - he was incorrigible, but he was also loving and kind and he made me laugh. 

With Joel I always knew where I stood. If he was mad or upset with me, he’d sure let me know, but on the other hand he was quick to repent if he was in the wrong, just wanting to make up and be friends again. 

I could talk all day about him, as any parent would, about their son. I loved him and I will miss him. There will be a hole in my heart forever until I meet him again in heaven. 

I’d like to play a song that Joel had recently been singing to me, right up in my face, as only Joel could. It’s called “Momma’s Boy”. It’s not mushy as the title suggests, but very much Joel, very much ‘out there’ and I guess it was his way of telling me that he really was my boy. "




Joel's friends in his room after the memorial service



Clint, Caitlin, Prue and Ben after the memorial service