When Tim was just 18 years old he was exposed to asbestos which later in life resulted in him being diagnosed with Mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer affecting his lungs. In early 2018, Rare Cancers Australia sat down with Tim and his wife, and primary carer, Janet, to record their cancer story in their own words.
Sadly, just a few short weeks after filming this interview was recorded, Tim passed away. His passion, strength and vision will not be forgotten.
The following was written by Tim's wife, Janet:
Many people who met Tim briefly thought him to be a cynic. In truth he was an idealist. He was a visionary who could see what the world could be and dedicated most of his life to making it happen. You didn’t have to agree with him to like him. He was a passionate but likeable man - though spending time with him often felt like getting caught in the intellectual equivalent of a spin cycle.
That was the public Tim… The private Tim was also passionate, but here it was about his family and his fur-kids. He was the husband who always had your back and the father who insisted his children be the best they could be but did everything in his power to support them getting there. His Kelpies were his best mates. His exterior could be gruff but he was kind and loving and giving in every way that mattered.
The irony about Tim’s end was that it resulted from one of the very things he was working to change. He died on February 16, 2018 of Mesothelioma – a rare cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Tim was exposed when he was 18 years old working a summer job to fund the cost of university.
Tim’s family asks that you honour Tim by donating to Rare Cancers Australia, an organization that is working to fund research into those rare cancers, such as Mesothelioma, that on a combined basis take tens of thousands of lives a year.