President of the Rotary Club of Narre Warren, Ian Pickering, with Harry Oakes, who died on 8 September aged 86, and PDG Ray Stewart.By Kelly Yates
MORE than 20 members of the Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club Gippsland Chapter escorted the coffin of Rotarian Harry Oakes to the crematorium on 11 September after his funeral at Tobin Brothers in Berwick.
Mr Oakes died on 8 September, aged 86.
Several guest speakers were invited to speak at the funeral including the current president of the Rotary Club of Narre Warren Ian Pickering (PDG) and Warwick Glendenning, who spoke about Mr Oakes’ involvement with the Berwick Agricultural Society.
Mr Oakes was born in Muswellbrook in 1921 to Frank and Muriel Oakes and was the eldest of four boys.
His family moved to Newcastle in 1939 where he enlisted and served in the navy for 13 years.
Mr Oakes married Kathleen in 1944 and had two sons, Alan and Russell.
In 1952, Mr Oakes was discharged from the navy and began life as a family man.
He made significant contributions to many local organisations including the Berwick Agriculture Society and Rotary and RSL clubs.
In the late 1980s, Mr Oakes fulfilled his dream of becoming a farmer and moved to King Island, where the couple ran a property of more than 1000 acres.
Mr and Mrs Oakes returned to Victoria in 2007.
Mr Oakes leaves his legacy behind to five grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.
The funeral service was conducted by Berwick Secondary College chaplain Peter Whitefield.
Mr Oakes’ son, Russell is the president of the Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club Gippsland Chapter.
