A POPULAR lawn bowler who died from a heart attack while playing the game he loved was given a fond farewell last week.
Kooweerup Bowls Club member Adrian Alkemade passed away on Friday, 10 February during a match at Lang Lang.
Mr Alkemade suffered the heart attack after delivering a bowl during the triples competition.
A large contingent of bowlers from clubs around the district formed a guard of honour at his funeral last Thursday.
Kooweerup Bowls Club president Rex Alexander said Mr Alkemade had been a popular and wellrespected member.
“He will be greatly missed by all members of Kooweerup Bowls Club and other clubs he played at,” Mr Alexander said.
“He always assisted in any way he could at working bees and so on.”
Mr Alkemade’s lawn bowls achievements including winning the pairs championships at the club, partnered by Ray Bannon and the Bgrade singles championship in 2003.
Born in Holland in 1934, he migrated to Australia as a teenager with his family.
He began playing bowls with the Pakenham club in 1996 to help combat illness and transferred to Kooweerup the following year.
Mr Alexander said Mr Alkemade preferred to play as a lead bowler but was versatile enough to play as a third when Kooweerup was runnerup in the Peninsula Association Division Four final in 200203.
He regularly played at Kooweerup and Lang Lang clubs on alternate Fridays and Pakenham and Garfield clubs on alternate Wednesdays.
He is survived by his wife, Lesley, children Cheryl and Brian, daughterinlaw Debbie and grandchildren Eden, Carlin, Amanda, Katelyn, Reilly, Myles and Kayla.