Former Noosa resident and journalist Bob Lake died peacefully at Labrador on the Gold Coast on Saturday, March 20, after a long illness.
Born in Buckinghamshire, England, Bob went to Kenya at the age of 19 looking for adventure.
He found plenty; hunting big game, when that was still acceptable, rough shooting, playing polo, and sailing.
He also found his wife Julie.
Together they came to Australia in 1966 and in 1972 moved to Noosa where they raised their family of two daughters, Amanda and Cathryn, and a son, Robert, who all went to Noosa High.
Bob worked first in pastoral management and then in journalism, starting as agricultural correspondent for the old Nambour Chronicle.
He later was editor of the Noosa News, taking over from Julie, then was appointed features editor and finally property editor for the Sunshine Coast Daily.
Though some in Noosa will still remember him from 1972-1973 when he and Julie operated the shire’s first deli and health food shop in the Majestic Arcade, Tewantin, and his brief stint in real estate.
He had many interests and hobbies including birdwatching, bushwalking, canoeing, anthropology and palaeontology, camping, tennis, photography, chess, philosophy, poetry and music, especially blues and opera.
Like many former hunters he became a keen environmentalist whose quiet but determined efforts helped preserve many a wilderness, especially Noosa National Park’s Lake Webya section.
Shortly after Bob’s retirement in 1999 they moved to Mount Tamborine.
His was a long, varied and worthwhile life and even though prolonged illness shadowed his last few years he remained active and engaged, right up until the day before he died.
Bob died peacefully in his sleep at Ozcare’s Parkwood Gardens nursing home, Labrador.
He will be much missed by his wife, daughters, grandchildren and the great grandchildren he sadly never got to know.
