HUNDREDS of people turned out to remember volunteer Tash Drake at a memorial service last week.
Ms Drake died last month aged just 27. She suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm.
Her family and friends gathered at Bunurong Memorial Park on 9 March to remember her. Her fellow SES volunteers formed a guard of honour to farewell her.
The funeral was attended by more than 200 people. Chelsea SES controller Phil Wall, who was the celebrant for the funeral, said it “meant a lot” to Ms Drake’s family to “see how well she was regarded in her community.”
“That was toughest job I’ll have to do, but there was just so much love. The service went well,” he said. “We were able to tell her story, and there were so many parts to her life. As well as the SES she was an amazing book designer who had clients all over the world, and we know there was around 30 book authors in California who logged onto the livestream to watch the service. She was also a great baker who loved making cookies and cupcakes. She also volunteered with the Starlight Foundation and Monash Children’s Hospital.”
Mordialloc MP Tim Richardson delivered a speech in parliament this month paying tribute to Ms Drake’s tireless efforts for her community.
“Our hearts are breaking in the Kingston community with the tragic passing of Natasha Drake,” he said. “One of her greatest legacies was her spirit of volunteerism. Whether it was to the amazing Chelsea SES, where I first had the honour of meeting Tash, the Starlight foundation or Monash Children’s Hospital, Tash made a significant and lasting contribution. I loved the times we caught up at SES events or when I saw her out and about in the Chelsea community. Seeing her journey and personal growth over time was amazing. We need more beautiful souls in our community like Natasha Drake.
“On behalf of the Victorian government and the local Kingston community, we send our love, our condolences and deepest sympathies to her father, Glenn, to her brother, Liam, and to the many friends and communities she touched and interacted with. Vale, Natasha Drake.”
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 16 March 2022
