23 September 1958 – 25 March 2025
At Warrnambool.
Loving husband of Mary.
Loved and respected father and father-in-law of Xavier and Nicole, Christian and Kate.
Cherished Grandad/Gang-gang of Harrison, Patrick; Rafa, Frankie, and Zoe.
*****
Family and friends of DAVID are invited to attend a Service at St Brigid’s Church, Koroit-Port Fairy Road, Crossley on SATURDAY (April 5) commencing at 2.00pm.
Private cremation
Please click on this link to watch David’s Funeral Service stream
David was a dear friend over many years. Kindness, humour and decency were his standards. We will miss you. Your wonderful family will continue your positive impact in our world. Love to Mary and family.
April 6, 2025My heartfelt condolences to all the family. You will be greatly missed, David. A wonderful person, social worker and lawyer. It was a privilege to have our paths cross repeatedly over so many years. My thoughts are with Christian, Xavier and the whole family.
April 5, 2025To my dear friend. I do and will miss you so much. Your kindness, wisdom, excellent legal mind and humour. A fellow bon vivant.
Much love to Mary, Christian and Xavier and his beloved grandchildren who he loved so much.
The epitome of a model litigant, mentor to so many. You are much loved David.
David you were a true gentleman and kind funny and compassionate person. Your knowledge and professionalism was very much appreciated by all who knew you . Condolences to your family .
April 5, 2025Condolences to all the family at this sad time, my thoughts will be with you today. R.I.P David
April 5, 2025Have a safe trip to your most comfortable place in heaven, David! We will continue your legacy and move forward with you. Such a kindest soul, and I am beyond blessed and thankful to have known you and your family. Prayers go for the family and friends!
Fly high, David, and you’ll be missed…
April 5, 2025It was a pleasure to work alongside David at the Children’s Court. He was a friendly colleague and very kind. I was very sad to hear of his passing. Best wishes to David’s family and friends. He will be missed.
April 3, 2025Love this man, what a loss!
I am so sorry to the Farrelly family – he was one in a million.
Much love to you all – he is with God and now your personal angel.
Jane Healey
April 3, 2025Thankful for our many years as colleagues, but more grateful for our many years of friendship. I say goodbye with the fondest of memories.
Sending our love to the whole Farrelly family x
David was one of those rare practitioners referred to at the bar table as ‘friend’ without the slightest irony. It is hard to determine his greatest quality, whether it was his consistent good nature, compassion, grace,, professionalism or integrity. Over the years I have benefited from your wisdom, insight and friendship. A true mentor who will be so incredibly missed, especially for those discussions about obscure and esoteric areas of life and law. My very deepest condolences to all your beautiful family. Mel S
April 2, 2025Very fond memories revisted before we put pen to paper together to write that book – “The ghosts of Brierly”. Such an incredible period of time working in mental
health that was, inspiring, challenging, but akso fun, in such a demanding environment and time. I will miss your friendship and that ability for us
to write together.
Deepest condolences to Mary, Xavier, Christian and families. My thoughts and love are with you at this most difficult time.
David was a truly good man. Full stop. Emotionally intelligent, kind, collaborative and generous, David was a role model and leader to generations of lawyers and social workers. I would often tell him he was the unsung hero of the CP Legal Unit (even after he “retired”). Just getting about things quietly and unassumingly. Juggling huge case numbers. Always efficiently. Always ethically. And always with good humour.
To Mary, Xavier, Christian, Nicole, Kate and all those much adored grandchildren I am heartbroken for you all and sending my love.
To David – You will be so very deeply missed my friend. Vale 😢
Amanda xx
April 2, 2025David, your place within in the Cog Codgers is ever present. Our journeys with you over the years are fixed in our memories. Together we have achieved something special.
Our journeys commenced long ago before we even knew each other. From a dispersed group of young boys who sort adventure on old fashioned bikes we met and became a group of aging fellows on modern fashioned bikes. We learnt how to feel younger and once again ride for adventure. We grew closer, a group of laughing travellors enjoying the precious gift of human life.
For 15 years and thousands of kilometres we have watched your unyielding strength and steady pace take on the toughest of rides including the Himalayan foothills and the heat of southern India. Your timely combination of humour and wisdom reminded us that a coin has two sides. Your easy presence central to the gradual unfolding of our biggest adventure of all, the adventure of connection and friendship. An adventure that brought familiarity and the sharing of our lives, for an adventure thats too good to do alone. We’ll continue the adventures David, and your place within the Cog Codgers will stay ever present. Our heart felt thoughts go to Mary and family.
April 2, 2025I am so very sad to hear David has left us. His kindness, humour, and integrity have long stayed with me. I first met David when I was a brand-new lawyer back in 2006 and he became my boss. He and I traipsed about Victoria South-West for some 18 months following the court circuit and I have never forgotten that time. In a sometimes unfriendly and hostile profession he was an example of how you could be both thoroughly professional in your role and be warm and friendly. David was a wonderful person. My deepest sympathy to David’s family and friends on your loss. xx
April 2, 2025Heartfelt condolences from David’s colleagues in Warrnambool. I had the pleasure of working with David and I always valued and appreciated his knowledge, guidance and warm nature. David, you will be greatly missed in our area along with the whole department. My thoughts are with you all.
April 2, 2025Mary, I am so very sorry. 😘
April 2, 2025The Warrnambool Ukulele Group is saddened by the loss of their respected member, David. We will remember him for his quirky, clever performances at open mic. Our sympathy goes out to his family
April 2, 2025David was an exceptional soul, always up for a laugh and good time but an incredible advocate for vulnerable people. I will miss our banter, your hedgehog slice and warm presence you brought everywhere you went. Your stories of travelling and your family. Sleep well David, we are so lucky to have had the opportunity to know and work with you, and call you our friend.
April 2, 2025I am so incredibly sad to hear of David’s passing. I will never forget David’s kind, gentle nature. He was a true role model. Always professional & respectful with a splash of humour & that trademark smile. Vale David. Rest in peace. Sincere condolences to David’s family at this time.
April 1, 2025Heartfelt condolences to David’s family, friends and colleagues. Always willing to assist me every time I called, David’s work ethic was admired and appreciated at every turn. David’s passing rocked me more than I could have imagined…I will miss my friend, his beautiful emails, and his bantering complaints as we sent him all over the state in the name of work.
April 1, 2025David was a wonderful colleague, and the loss is felt deeply by all of us who had the privilege of working alongside him. His legacy will continue to inspire us – simply one of a kind.
April 1, 2025David was a member of the Warrnambool Ukulele Club and we always enjoyed his playing. We will miss him dearly especially our open mic nights.
Condolences to all the family.
We are so saddened to hear the passing of David .Our Wednesday nights won’t be the same guitaring,chatting & having a whiskey . Deepest condolences to you Mary & your family. May you find comfort in the memories you all shared with David. Love Alan & Colleen xx
March 31, 2025Not only did I have the privilege of having David as a colleague, a professional mentor, but as a friend.
David, I have no doubt that you have left a lasting legacy. As a lawyer you operated with fierce integrity and excellence. Beyond your guidance professionally, you were always so warm, kind, and funny, witty and sharp. Your love for your family was so evident, especially your grandchildren. You had an obvious impact on all around you.
Thank you for being a mentor and friend. We have lost one of the best, but I have no doubt your legacy will live on. My sincere condolences to your beautiful family.
Thoughts and prayers from all David’s colleagues and friends in Ballarat. We will miss his knowledge, calm supportive presence and ready smile on our Wednesdays. May he now be always surrounded by good music with a pint in hand.
March 31, 2025David was a wonderful colleague, who will be so deeply missed in the Bendigo region as our adopted ‘work dad’. I will miss David’s wit, laughter, knowledge, always reprimanding us (in jest) about how much we swear, suggesting a swear jar and of course his hedgehog slice which became the norm for us Bendigo folk. Deepest condolences to David’s family, our thoughts are with you at the loss of an exceptional man who will be so deeply missed by all.
March 31, 2025Saddened to hear about his passing. Having worked with David from time to time over the years I got to know a decent human being.
March 31, 2025David was such an ethical colleague. We could battle fiercely between 9 and 5 and then go and have a drink and a laugh.
Thoughts are with Xav and his family xxx
Carolyn
David was one of my favourite spin members at Aquazone.
I will miss his energy and song requests (to which I will admit we would often disagree on what was a good song)
I was also lucky enough to be taught legal studies by him while I studied at TAFE.
A great man.
Condolences to the family.
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