By KATH GANNAWAY
ONE of Healesville’s modern pioneers, businessman, much-loved sportsman and community worker, Charles Hort, has died this week, aged 85.
Charles died on Monday night 27 June, after an illness of 18 months.
A funeral service for Charles will be held at St John’s Anglican Church, in Symons Street, Healesville, at 11am on Friday 1 July.
In a life-time of contributing to community life in Healesville, most recently he was at the helm of the Healesville Bowling Club team that pulled the business community together with the introduction three years ago of the corporate bowls competition.
It was another feather in his cap that – in a way that no other organisation had been able to do – he coaxed busy, tired and often disengaged owners and staff of local businesses, from the small two or three man shows such as Wild Grains and Black Spur Nursery to larger local multi-corporates such as Coles and the NAB – and The Mail – to get together on a Wednesday night and bowl away a few hours getting to know each other, and raising funds for the club.
His enthusiasm, humour and passion for the bowling club were key factors in the success of that project.
That was just the tip of a very large iceberg.
Charles was a champion and past president of the bowling club, a founding member of the Healesville Garden Club, championed tourism through his and wife Lorraine’s involvement in the Healesville Tourism Association, and was a greatly respected member and past Church Warden of St John’s Anglican Church.
The Mail extends sincere condolences to Lorraine and the extended Hort family on their sad loss.
