Dave Jolly is a much beloved, essential member of our Cotton-Jolly clan. Having spent our formative years together – with vivid memories of Christmas’s, birthdays and holiday trips to the beach and bush, ping pong tournaments, back yard cricket, tree climbing competitions and sleepovers spent together.
We remember Dave, in those early years as vibrant - full of energy, mischievous, playful, and very funny – your sense of humour unsurpassable. Yet we remember you as also being somewhat of a leader amongst the younger cousins.. calling the shots and making us “pull our heads in” when our collective mischievousness got out of hand (by his standards).
As time went on, we grew up and we all got a little more serious - as we all tend to do, but you clearly still maintained that cheekiness and playfulness as the undercurrent and essence of who you are (which we are so fortunate to have witnessed).
Evidenced by the hectically alcoholic punch you and your brothers provided for our annual Cotton-Jolly Northgate piss-up / erm I mean … Christmas one year… yes - beautiful yet lethal.
And you your ability to whip up a personalised cocktail at one of the finest establishments Eight Mile Plains ever knew – the “Spruce Moose” – I remember you asking for what flavours we liked, which ones we didn’t, before donning a pensive look – and getting down to business, delivering an extraordinarily well-crafted, and elite cocktail.. All the while serving some good old fashion banter over the bar. This memory I cherish, for your old-world charm and first-rate hospitality was on full display.
And of course, that brilliantly witty speech you delivered for Ben’s and Kim’s wedding. If there was a metric recorded somewhere in the universe for the most hilarious best-men wedding speeches, I’m sure that one would be placed firmly somewhere towards the top as a winner.
Plus countless others, wonderful memories that are just a blur of the simple times of laughter, silliness, and just general extended family love.
Dave. We are beyond grateful, fortunate, and honoured to have shared our childhood with you as our cousin. The beautiful “Dave Jolly” shaped imprint you have left, will continue to be part of us for the rest of our lives. Vale, Dave. Something tells me this is not the end. But in the meantime, all our love, until we meet again.