A Requiem Mass was held at Our Lady of the Way Chapel at Marian Grove in Toormina, on Friday 29 November.

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The mass was conducted by the Very Reverend Friar Colin Reinhard Moderator of the Cathedral Parish, Townsville and the Dean of the Sacred Heart Cathedral, Townsville.

A devoted Catholic, Frank was known as a compassionate, generous and gentle man who had a deep connection with, and love of, the natural world – especially his local environment in Coffs Harbour.

Putting his passion into action, he worked on conservation and restoration projects with purpose and many years of volunteering around waterways and headlands in Coffs Harbour are reminders of his legacy.

Frank set up the “Friends of Coffs Creek” volunteer weeding and management group in 1992, six years before Coffs Harbour Landcare was created.

This group was a response to a proposal by Coffs Services Club, supported by Council, to create a walkway along the banks of Coffs Creek.

Frank became the Jobskills Supervisor during the construction of the walk (1992-1997).

Still in action today, the Friends of Coffs Creek group continues the support of the bush on either side of that track, maintaining the appeal of this iconic Coffs feature.

This was Frank’s vision.

After handing the reins of the group to fellow volunteer Elisabeth Edwards, he went on to create a new site, Macauley’s Headland Landcare and proposed the maintenance of the walking track.

Frank was appointed to the North Coast Regional NPWS Advisory Board to the end of 2018.

It was in this year he moved into Marian Grove Retirement Village where he started up a Landcare Group with other residents in the Marian Grove Wildlife Refuge to continue his passion of caring for the local environment.

He was honoured with Life Membership of Coffs Harbour Regional Landcare (CHRL) in 2021.

President Barry Powells told News Of The Area, “Frank was what you might call ‘an old-fashioned environmental activist’; no demonstrating, no waving banners or placards.

“He just quietly and purposefully went about his quests, and there were many.

“One of his greatest contributions to the environment was development of the Coffs Creek Walkway which he worked on for many years.”

The route of the walkway runs from behind the War Memorial Swimming Pool, hugging three sides of the Botanic Gardens and meandering through to meet the ocean near the Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary.

The creation of the bush walk in the city, which has become a destination for tourism, is something Barry Powells would like to see honouring Frank.

“Sawtell Dunecare member Dave Wood and I were privileged to have spent some time with Frank and his family recently.

“We discussed many environmental matters of interest to Frank and were told to regularly get out there and pull out some weeds,” Barry said.

“We have been blessed in Coffs Harbour by the likes of Eileen Moody and Alex Floyd; Francis John Kennedy stands rightly tall in this company,” said a CHRL spokesperson.

By Andrea FERRARI