Peter Kurmann.
Pete and Debra Kurmann
SHARK victim Pete Kurmann died doing one of the things he loved most being in the ocean.
His brother Gian, who was in the water with him when he was fatally attacked by a shark, as they were diving for crayfish, spoke of Pete’s love of the sea at his funeral last Saturday, which drew so many mourners that many were forced to listen to the service from outside the chapel.
The burial did not go ahead, after Pete’s remains were found on a beach before the funeral.
In his eulogy Gian told how Pete and a friend would pour hot water bottles down their wetsuits to help with the cold when they went surfing for hours at a time, while his mother stayed in the car to greet them with sausage rolls and hot tea to warm them after they returned to the beach, with their lips blue and teeth chattering.
She always wondered why they would do this to themselves, Gian said.
During his uni days he once said to me ‘Mate I’ve been in the ocean every day for a 100 days straight. Haven’t missed one’.
Pete’s wife Debra, a Busselton city councillor, said diving was one of their great pastimes when she spoke affectionately of their kindred spirits.
From the moment we met I knew you were the one for me. I just felt you were the perfect fit. We have so much in common. You are my soulmate. We have the same values. When people who knew us both found out we were together, they would always say how perfect we were for each other.
I loved everything about you. Your strength, your loyalty, your intelligence, your wit, your cheekiness, your smile, your motivation, your kindness I could go on all day, she said in her tribute to Pete, read by a friend.
I don’t have one bad thing I could say. You opened up my eyes, you had such great affection.
You always tried to pack as much into the weekend as possible. Actually you tried to pack as much into our lives as possible.
People loved to be around you. You were so genuine and lovely. Thank you for always being there for me.
I will never let them (children Felix and Nicholas) forget you. I will make sure they know exactly the kind of man you were and how much everyone thought of you.
You were so generous to me and I am so grateful.
The boys want you to know how much they loved you and how much they will miss you. But I am lucky because you live on in them. I will see you every day in them and I will always remember you. You were only here for a short time with them, but you taught them so much and you have given both such a wonderful start to life.
It’s so terribly sad. You were my soulmate, my best friend, we were kindred spirits. I will miss you so much, but I don’t want our children to be victims of what has happened. Felix and Nicholas are happy, confident and beautiful children and I will do everything in my power to make sure they stay that way.
I will be sad and lonely, but I will be strong. Babe, I will love you always and never forget the loving generous strong, funny adventurous spirit that you were.
Don’t feel sad for us, we have a lot of support and love around us and we would rather have had you for a short time than no time at all.