Spurr, Mr J.

Ms THOMPSON (Davenport) (16:55): It is with profound sadness that I rise today to speak on the passing of an extraordinary individual from my community, John Spurr, a man whose life was marked by his boundless love and dedication to his family, friends and community. John was the loving husband of Alison and the devoted father of Abby, Bridget and Ned. He was also a much loved son, brother, brother-in-law and dear friend to many.

John had a passion for dancing and music. He was a talented drummer, guitarist and singer, with music being a significant part of his and his family's world. His athletic prowess was evident in his love for sports, especially football and tennis, and his representation of South Australia and Australia in korfball.

John's academic journey took him to the University of South Australia where he studied secondary maths and science teaching. His commitment to education was further demonstrated during his time at Craigburn Primary School, initially as a teacher and later as a groundskeeper. His dedication to the community extended far beyond the school grounds. John was actively involved in parkruns and biodiversity projects, and he volunteered his time with council, St John Ambulance and the Country Fire Service.

As a passionate member of the Labor Party, John served as president of the Kingston sub-branch and was a dedicated member of the Davenport sub-branch, often seen devoting countless hours at election booths, which was where I first met John.

His dedication to community and environment knew no bounds. A few years ago he approached me with an idea. He had noticed that Craigburn Primary and other schools in our community had an excess of school desks after the year 7s had moved on to high school and he thought that they could be donated to underprivileged schools and students in Fiji rather than sending them to landfill. He was definitely an ideas man and a thoughtful one at that.

John was described by his friends and family at his funeral with words that captured his essence: sublime to ridiculous, a big kid, and the word 'funcle' was used a lot meaning the fun uncle. These descriptors highlight his playful spirit and the joy he brought into the lives of those around him. John's love for his family was immense and they share many wonderful and fun memories. They are fortunate to have many hilarious videos to remember him by. His children Abby, Bridget and Ned are beautiful souls who embody the same caring empathy that John was known for.

A particularly touching moment at John's funeral was when his son, Ned, performed a song called Postcode which he wrote with his father about a year ago. The song spoke about not having preconceived ideas about people based on where they live, a testament to the values that John instilled in his children. As we remember John, I want to share the poignant words of his brother-in-law, Ben: 'John's legacy is one of kindness, dedication and zest for life. He lived fully, loved deeply and gave generously. His impact on all of us is profound and lasting. RIP Spurry.'

I extend my heartfelt condolences to John's family, his extended family, his many friends and the wider community who undoubtedly will miss him dearly. Vale John Spurr—a beautiful man taken from us too soon.

With my time left, I would like to take an opportunity to thank all of the members today who came along to the motor neurone disease Parliamentary Friends of MND morning tea. This week is MND Awareness Week. As we did last year, and as I hope we will do every year, we welcomed in the South Australian MND community to the Old Chamber where we were able to share their experiences and their stories and have members of this house listen to those experiences and learn more about this horrible disease.

We are very fortunate to have had representations from MND SA and MND Australia. The new CEO of MND Australia spoke about their vision nationally and what they will be taking to the federal government seeking support for, so it was a great opportunity to hear from them. I hope that our government and members here in this house will continue to provide the support that they so much deserve.