Nathan’s farewell

By Michael Esposito
A SHY and reserved man with a big heart is how family and friends will remember Nathan Giles.
Almost 100 people filled Werribee’s Wyndham Chapel yesterday (Tuesday) to farewell the young Pakenham man who was taken too soon.
The tragic circumstances surrounding his death did not overshadow the main focus of the funeral – to celebrate the life of a loyal friend and deeply loved relative.
As the Mass began, Metallica’s powerful ballad “Nothing Else Matters” rang through the chapel, eliciting an outpouring of emotion.
Nathan’s aunty Averil foughtback tears as she talked about her beloved nephew, saying he was “an emotionally private man yet generous and thoughtful and a loyal friend”.
Parents Kerry James and Kevin Giles reminisced about Nathan’s colourful life, speaking of his love of the great outdoors and the mischief he got up to with his siblings, cousins and mates.
Nathan was a keen Essendon supporter who loved motorbikes and loud music, often to the annoyance of his neighbours.
Family members and friends fondly remembered his vibrant blond hair, big blue eyes and cheeky smile as a child.
That beaming smile always seemed to get him out of trouble, like when he cycled 30km just to play Nintendo with his friends without telling his parents where he was going.
Loved ones also recounted the times he used to go to the local golf course, find lost golf balls and try to sell them to their rightful owners.
This quietly mischievous streak endeared him to those close to him and provided them with a lifetime of memories.
Nathan had been missing for nearly seven weeks before his body was found in Pakenham Upper bushland on Saturday 12 September, just a day before his 23rd birthday.
The family will hold a service at a barbecue area in The Circuit, Lakeside Pakenham, at noon this Saturday to celebrate Nathan’s life.