HUNDREDS gathered to pay their respects to one of the region's most beloved rugby icons.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Pirates life member Graham Yeo was farewelled at a memorial service at St Nicholas Catholic Church on Wednesday, in front of a packed crowd of friends and family.
Mr Yeo died on February 3 after an eight-year battle with motor neurone disease (MND).
Read Also:
Long-time friend and fellow Pirates life member Gordon Barbara said his "great mate" would be sorely missed.
"Graham was really one of a kind," Mr Barbara told the Leader.
"His work with our club can never be understated and I'm not sure where it would be without him.
"He was a real character, a great public speaker and was never afraid to laugh at himself. We shared a lot of great memories and he will be missed by all of us."
As well as a Pirates stalwart, Mr Yeo also helped champion several fundraisers for MND, after being diagnosed with the illness in 2012.
"Graham did a lot of good work to help bring attention to the cause," Mr Barbara said.
"There has been a lot of really successful fundraisers through the club, and of course, there was the MND ball a few years ago too.
"Those things are just some of examples of what made Graham such a terrific person," he said.
Mr Barbara said Mr Yeo's Legacy would live on in the Pirates community for many years.
"There's no doubt Graham was very special and he will be remembered by all of us for a very long time," he said.
"He will be sorely missed - that's for sure."
Billy Jupp
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
