It is with the greatest sadness and the heaviest of hearts, that we advise all members and supporters of the Glen Iris Cricket Club and the wider local cricket community at large, of the sudden passing of our great friend and Club Life Member, Paul Lourey.
As absolute giant of our cricket club for 43 years, Paul came to the Glen Iris Cricket Club in the 1979/80 season and, in those 43 years, made himself the most recognisable Glen Iris Cricket Club identity, ECA and Boroondara wide and served our club faithfully right up until his last Saturday at the Club, last weekend.
It is not the 269 games he played, or the 2999 runs he made, or the Premiership he played in, that made Paul what he is to our club; it was the countless volunteer hours he gave us day in day out, week by week, year after year. We took him for granted; that Pauly would always be there for us at the club – setting up Saturday morning, operating the club throughout the game, getting Thursday night after training dinners organised, working the bar and selling hot dogs at Friday night Blasters – he was always there for us.
He was recognised most years by the Committee, with Best Clubman Awards that started in 1985/86 and continued with his 12th award being bestowed on him at the end of last season, when he decided to stand down as Secretary after 14 consecutive years of service, starting in 2008/09. Notwithstanding these years of service as Secretary, Paul also served as Vice-President for five seasons from 1996/97 to 2000/01 and outside of those 14 years as Secretary and 5 as Vice-President, served as a general Committee Member for another 11 seasons, commencing in 1986/87. On field, he served as faithfully as 3rd XI Captain in 7 seasons, starting in 1992/93 and winding up in 2000/01. I am sure also, the ECA will pass on their thanks for Paul’s contribution as an umpire, Grade Secretary and member of the Turf Wicket Committee over numerous seasons.
His stats though do not go even close to what he has done for our club; what he has done for us. It is difficult to put into words his contribution to our club and our lives emanating from that but all we can do is thank our dear friend and great Clubman for the man that he was. The term legend is flung around all too readily these days, but it sits comfortably with Paul, in terms of our club, the ECA and the wider Boroondara Community on the whole.
We pass on our most sincere condolences to Paul’s sisters and brothers, along with the wider Lourey family, on their tragic loss, which is being felt by all of us.
We invite all members, players and supporters down to Eric Raven this evening from 5.00pm to reminisce and remember the great man.
RIP Pauly
