Practical man, inventor with sense of humour
Talented pianist helped neighbours
DICK van Tricht was born in Doorn, the Netherlands, in 1935.
He went to school in Langbrook, where he left at age 14 to go work for his Uncle Marinus, who had a small coach-building business.
His family - mother, father and four sisters - came by ship to Australia in 1953.
They travelled by train to the Bonegilla migrant hostel near Albury.
They had eight pounds between them and were shocked by the heat in the tin sheds they lived in.
Dirk soon found work on a farm and worked hard to learn his new language.
In 1957, he met a pretty Australian girl, Margaret Geisler, and got married.
They had one daughter, Julie Ann.
One of the first things he did after he was married was get naturalised and he was proud to be called an Aussie.
They moved to Tumbarumba in 1958 and he started a panel beating shop called VT Bodyworks.
Dick and Margaret also had five sons - Paul, Mark, David, Timothy and Steven of whom he was very proud.
Paul and Mark both did their apprenticeship under him as well.
He was a very clever man and had a good knowledge of all things practical.
He was also an accomplished pianist, having learnt on a big church organ in Holland.
He built a home, ran a farm and loved inventing anything that would make life easier for the people he helped.
In 1981, they moved to Toowoomba, where he had various businesses.
His family expanded and he had 16 grandchildren.
He liked to keep busy and had a few acres on Boundary Rd, which housed a little hobby farm with a few cows.
Dick was a Christian man who loved his church and helped out with Sunday school for years.
In later years, he took a real interest in his sons and sons-in-laws’ businesses.
He would spend his days driving around and doing anything he could to help.
In 2009, Dick and Margaret shifted to Kingfisher Lifestyle Village, where Dick was always ready to help his neighbours with all kinds of things.
Dick was a kind, godly man, who loved his family.
He had 12 great grandchildren who loved him.
He always had a great sense of humour and loved playing jokes on his sons.
A large number of people attended his funeral on January 14, with people flying in from Sydney, Albury and one son flew in from the US.
He will be remembered for so many things, but mostly as a loving father and a beautiful husband.
He leaves behind a wife Margaret, who has all her family to look after.