Parents tell of ‘cheeky’ son ahead of soldier’s Highton funeral

A GEELONG soldier tragically killed during a training accident will be laid to rest in Highton today.

The funeral for former Grovedale College student Jason Challis will include a handful of personal touches, including music from one of his favourite bands AC/DC, his parents have revealed.

The 25-year-old’s mother Helen Brandich and stepfather Mirko Brandich gave their only media interview following his death ahead of the funeral, describing their son as a “cheeky, fun-loving kid”.

“Wherever he went he just made friends so easy,” Mr Brandich said in the Channel Nine interview on Wednesday night.

“He played practical jokes on the guys at work, where he used to work before as well, and he put sawdust in their lunch boxes and stuff like that. He was a shocker,” Ms Brandich said with a laugh.

The stricken parents described their last talk with Jason before he took part in a routine training activity at the Mount Bundey Training Area near Darwin. “He rang up and said he was going out on a live fire,” Mr Brandich said. “He was looking forward to it.

“He thought he better ring up because I’d be whingeing because he wouldn’t talk to me for three weeks, so he thought he’d better ring and say hello,” Ms Brandich said.

The parents also described the moment they were given the news of their son’s death.

“We had two padres sent up to the door … I knew straight away,” Mr Brandich said. “I don’t really remember that much, I just thought it wasn’t real.

“If he’s injured they just give you a phone call,” Ms Brandich said. “They knock on the door for something else.”