Hail to the bus driver,
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Bus driver, bus driver,
Hail to the bus driver,
Bus driver-man.
This is an American School kid’s song to their bus driver. And that was David Furey. “Dave” to most and
School bus driver for the Berrima Bus Company. He was born on May 29, 1959 and passed away on October 19, 2018.
Prior to his recent role as a bus driver Dave was a Qantas Steward, who was renowned for his performing skills and starred in multiple “QANTAS REVUES”.
Dave came to the Southern Highlands in the 1990s and moved to Moss Vale with his family.
His adored children Pernilla and Karina and his grandchildren Taj and Delilah – to them he was “Morfar”, beloved and Swedish for GranPa. Hit Youtube and find a song “Morfar Spelkarl” – as beautiful a folk song from kids as you could find, about their GranPa. Well, that was Dave.
Whilst born with the name of “Furey” he was rarely close to that. For me, someone who directed him several times, wrote for him several times, told him off several times – an endlessly puckish spirit: abandoned, loved life, spirit highly buffed and shiney.
Within moments of arriving in our “Heelands”, he was on the boards. Performing his socks off and often displaying an angelic, lyric vocal quality, which for me, resonated so beautifully during “Little Sodding” as he sang “That’s Amore” to his wife over, yes, pizza!
Dave brought the house down and made the actress he was working with, cry.
Why? Because Dave was mid-way through a dreadful disease.
He did everything in spite of his cancer. Walking down the street – sprightly is a word that springs to mind...and so indeed was his mind. Mercurial, effervescent, loving and always kind.
The only ‘FUREY” I saw, was when he scolded himself for getting something wrong...or for his almost unstoppable ability to laugh at himself when all you wanted him to do was for a moment to ‘be serious’.
But the man Dave Furey, demanded you laugh.
No wonder, then, that he was better known for the Qantas Revues than being a steward – but I guarantee, if the chips were down and those masks descended from the ceiling, he’d turn the entire catastrophe into a comedy routine.
Dave was the sort of guy you’d want to go down on the sinking ship with. Ahh, but his heart. Wonderful, compassionate, understanding and just about zero judgemental.
Dave was a classic nature’s clown, a natural born Shakespearean fool. And he was just great.
I’ll miss you Dave (David) Furey – particularly as I now have to find a replacement for you in “Little Sodding” – along with all the other companies you worked with. We’re gonna be lost.
But, just keep singing loudly. I think we’ll all hear. Always.
- Dave Letch, Hill Top