Vale Darrel McInness

WELL known Sconeite Darrel McInnes died in Salamander Bay on Thursday evening.

Darrel McInnes passed away last Thursday at Salamander Bay

He had been unwell since just before Christmas.

Mr McInnes ran the local fruit shop for approximately 40 years, was a Councillor, active in local hockey and was part of the Australian barefoot water skiing team in 1966.

His daughter Kate Allan said he was in “his mid-80’s” and laughed that he was always coy about his exact age.

His main shop was opposite the Ambulance station, where the Coles complex is now located, he ran another shop for a short time in Campbell’s Corner and had a shop in Shoal Bay.

He is survived by his partner June and daughters Kate, Vicki and Lee.

On December 25, 1998, when the fruit shop closed David Noonan and Mark Lawrance played the bagpipes as he left the shop and the family are pleased Mark will be travelling to the funeral to play Darrel off one last time.

The funeral will be on Friday, 2pm at the Uniting Church, 178 Salamander Way, Salamander Bay.

Closing of the store: Darel McInnes (centre), the day his fruit and vegetable shop closed in 1998, with David Noonan and Mark Lawrance playing the bagpipes.