{"id":328161,"date":"2023-01-23T17:35:33","date_gmt":"2023-01-23T07:35:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=328161"},"modified":"2023-01-23T19:40:08","modified_gmt":"2023-01-23T09:40:08","slug":"obituary-doug-farmer-1924-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2023\/01\/23\/obituary-doug-farmer-1924-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Obituary: Doug Farmer 1924-2023"},"content":{"rendered":"
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FLASHBACK: Barry Krosch and Kingaroy-Memerambi RSL Sub-Branch President Don Davey, (right), presented a framed photograph to Doug Farmer, (centre), in 2013<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Doug Farmer was the oldest veteran in attendance at the 2022 Remembrance Day commemoration in Kingaroy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

January 23, 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n

A funeral will be held in Kingaroy on February 1 for former Kingaroy-Memerambi RSL Sub-Branch secretary Doug Farmer OAM.<\/p>\n

Doug was born in Gympie in February, 1924.<\/p>\n

The funeral service is being held on what would have been Doug’s 99th birthday.<\/p>\n

He joined the RAAF on July 6, 1942, and served in the South Pacific as a guard.<\/p>\n

He was discharged on January 21, 1946, and returned to work on the family farm at Lower Wonga.<\/p>\n

He then moved to Brisbane to be trained under the Post War Reconstruction Program where he became a qualified carpenter.<\/p>\n

Doug worked for 17 years for Queensland Rail, first as a fettler and then as a porter at Kingaroy Railway Station.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He also worked for seven years for the PMG in Kingaroy, delivering telegrams and letters on a bicycle.<\/p>\n

Doug had a special interest in supporting Legacy.<\/p>\n

For more than 20 years, he regularly manned a street stall in Kingaroy to sell Anzac Day badges, Remembrance Day poppies and Legacy badges.<\/p>\n

Many people will also recall Doug playing “Santa Claus” at past Kingaroy Christmas carnivals.<\/p>\n

Doug was a Life Member of the Kingaroy-Memerambi RSL Sub-Branch.<\/strong><\/p>\n

His yellow EJ Holden was a familiar sight around Kingaroy streets for many years as he drove about doing RSL welfare visits.<\/p>\n

In 2009, Doug was awarded an\u00a0Order of Australia Medal\u00a0for his service to war veterans and their families, and to the community of Kingaroy.<\/p>\n

In 2017, the new RSL Villas in Markwell Street, Kingaroy, were named in his honour.<\/p>\n

Family and friends have been invited to attend Doug\u2019s funeral service, to be held in Virgo\u2019s Funeral Home Chapel in Kingaroy, on Wednesday, February 1, from 10:30am.<\/p>\n

In lieu of flowers, donations to RSL Queensland and Legacy Australia have been suggested.<\/p>\n

Doug was the beloved husband of Thelma (dec\u2019d) and Amy (dec\u2019d); father and stepfather to Diane, Juliane, Wendy (dec\u2019d), Carolyn, Kelvin, Garry, Noelene and David; and father-in-law, grandfather and great-grandfather to their families.<\/p>\n

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