Riding for Joe

Family and friends of Murchison local Joe McLellan gathered in the weekend for a memorial ride and unveiling, to celebrate the life of the loving family man.
Tragically Joe passed away on Christmas Eve 2015, when he lost control of the ute he was driving.
Father to four, 35 year old Joe was the Deputy Fire Chief at the Murchison Volunteer Fire Station, an active member of the Board of Trustees for the local school and a ‘community-minded’ person who loved a good social event. His step-daughter Alysha Tinetti says there wasn’t an event he was not involved with.
“The family wanted to do something for everyone who knew Joe, because this is how he would have wanted it,” says Alysha. “To have everyone he socialised with all come together to celebrate, not only him, but everyone being together. We chose to do this on April 14 because it’s the closest weekend to his birthday (April 16) and anyone who knew Joe would know that he always had a gathering with his mates on his birthday, and we weren’t about to stop that.”
On April 14, friends and family gathered at the Murchison Fire Station to set off on Joe’s usual bike run through Springs Junction to Reefton and back to Murchison, before heading to the cemetery for Joe’s headstone unveiling. Ending the day with a BBQ back at the Fire Station was the perfect tribute to a man who was loved and remembered by so many.
The Red Knights, an international firefighters motorcycle club that Joe was a member of, have decided to make the run an annual event in tribute to Joe.
Joe is survived by his wife Erin, step daughters Alysha and Bevalyn Tinetti, and children Penelope and Anthony McLellan.