00:00Neil was an incredible man with whom I was privileged to build a life, a partnership and a family.
00:07Words cannot convey the depth of sorrow and grief that his loss brings.
00:14We met in 2016 when I arrived at the Wangaratta Police Station as a constable.
00:20We worked one shift together and it changed the course of my life.
00:25In just eight hours, I learned so much about him, of Jimmy, his wire-haired pointer, his passion for the bombers, hunting, fishing and catching crooks.
00:36He even gave me a rundown on Tomo's unwritten rules for love and relationships.
00:41I had never laughed so much with someone I'd just met.
00:45And as I drove home that night, reflecting on my day, I knew with absolute certainty that I wanted to be a detective too.
00:52A few years later, our paths crossed again, when I returned to Wangaratta for a secondment at the crime unit.
01:02Tomo delighted in antagonising me by throwing balls of scrunched-up paper just short of the bin,
01:08knowing that my obsessive-compulsive personality was grappling with them strewn on the floor.
01:13Come on, Junior, he'd say, I'll buy you a coffee.
01:15And he did, usually two or three times a day.
01:18On one occasion, as I jumped back into the car and handed him a latte,
01:23Cher's song, Turn Back Time, played on the radio.
01:27As he took the coffee, he wrapped his hand over mine, grinned at me like a Cheshire cat,
01:32then belted out every word of Cher's song on the way to our next job.
01:38Neil had the ability to make everyone feel like they were at the centre of his world.
01:43To Jason, Crouchy, Dirk, Cam, Pete, Helen, Rob, Little Johnny, Cambo, Nick and Big Benny and Chris, you were.
01:57His plans for the future were built squarely on the adventures that he wanted to have with you.
02:02I knew Neil to be an intensely private person, a provider and a protector.
02:10We ran, hiked, climbed, fished, farmed and travelled together,
02:16until one day I said, you have to stop calling me Junior.
02:20We were the opposites in every way, but together we were unstoppable.
02:25And in spite of our differences, he would become the centre of my world and the love of my life.
02:33His pathway to parenting was a wild ride, but we forged a family like no other.
02:40The bond he formed with Eden and Job filled a void in Neil that few people knew existed.
02:47He'd greet the kids each day by saying,
02:50Hey Midget, have you done your push-ups?
02:52He adored them, and he loved nothing more than to kick a ball with them,
02:57watch them play footy, drop them to school or take them out fishing while I was at work.
03:04Neil lived his military aspirations vicariously through Mark,
03:07and was proud to attend his first march-out.
03:11He looked forward to Anna's visits, so he could roll out his repertoire of Tomo's tall tales.
03:16He sipped rosé with my sister in the afternoon sun and chatted about the holidays we should take next.
03:26Importantly, Neil was the only parent-approved partner I've ever had.
03:30When we dropped into my parents' farm for a quick coffee, it always led to another coffee, a few biscuits, a small meal,
03:40and an in-depth discussion about all the ways the Bombers had let themselves down again this season.
03:45I am grateful the last weekend I spent with Neil was our best.
03:56We worked on the new farm all day, and as the sun began to set, he called out,
04:01Hey farm wife, why isn't my dinner ready yet?
04:04To which I laughed and replied while shaking my head,
04:07You are the best husband I never had, but I do love being your farm wife.
04:14That night, as we wined and dined and gazed at the stars, we left nothing unsaid.
04:21To Neil, every day was a new adventure.
04:25He took us to places that few ever go and showed us how brilliant life is if you have the courage to try.
04:33And through it all, he taught me how to love without fear,
04:36and how to be brave when I'm scared.
04:41And honey, I am so grateful you did, because I am scared.
04:46I don't want to live life without you, and I don't want to finish our dreams on my own.
04:53But I will, I promise.
04:56I will be brave, I will love you, I will honour you,
05:01and cherish every moment that I spent with you.
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