William “Bill” Ewen, the Marine Rescue volunteer who lost his life while answering a call to help a sailor in distress, was farewelled by hundreds of mourners at Ballina RSL today.

The 78-year-old Scotsman was one of two Marine Rescue volunteers who died in the May 4 Ballina Bar tragedy. Fellow volunteer Frank Petsch was laid to rest at a private funeral last month.

Marine Rescue Ballina Unit Commander Peter Hill said Mr Ewen joined the service in 2017 and had crewed rescue vessels more than 90 times in the past three and a half years.

“He was always the first one to put his hand up if there was a job to be done, no matter how hard the task,” Mr Hill said.

Funeral celebrant Phil Chapman said Mr Ewen had “paid the supreme sacrifice to keep our community safe”.

Mr Ewen’s daughter, Angie, and wife, Kerry, both spoke during the service, with Angie telling the gathering: “I will always be proud of Dad.”

Delivering the eulogy, Angie said her father was born in northeast Scotland in 1948 and had a tough upbringing.

The late Bill Ewen

He left school at 15 to work as a labourer in a local quarry, developing what she described as an “unwavering work ethic”. He later obtained a truck licence and began transporting stone throughout Scotland.

He met his first wife, Doreen, at a dance in 1974 and the couple spent the next five years working hard and saving for the future. They would go on to have two daughters, Angie and Gill.

Mr Ewen later gave up long-haul driving so he could spend more time with his family and retrained as a domestic appliance engineer.

In 2005, tragedy struck when Doreen died from a rare neurological condition at the age of 55.

Angie moved to Australia and in 2012, aged 64, Mr Ewen travelled here for what was meant to be a one-year stay. He never left and later became a permanent resident.

He settled in Tweed Heads overlooking the water, volunteered with Meals on Wheels and even took up the ukulele.

In 2014, he became a grandfather when Flynn was born.

“Dad believed life was meant to be lived to the fullest,” Angie said.

“Family meant everything to Dad.”

Angie spoke of her father’s love for volunteering with Marine Rescue.

“He was always talking about the boat, his mates there, and his experiences out on the water. Seeing the beauty of whales and dolphins never ceased to amaze him,” she said.

“We are all proud of the commitment he gave to Marine Rescue and the sense of purpose and community it brought to his life.”

Mr Ewen found love again when he met Kerry in 2014 and the couple married in 2018.

They became regulars at Cherry Street Sports Club, where friends and family later gathered following Monday’s service.

Kerry described Mr Ewen as the love of her life.

“Bill is gone way too soon. So many more memories were to be made, but he left doing what he loved, no suffering, no pain,” she said.

All speakers described a man who overcame hardship and built a life centred on family, friendship, community and service.

“He enjoyed a good chat with the neighbours, or anyone he came across,” Kerry said.

Following the service, fellow Marine Rescue volunteers and emergency service personnel formed a guard of honour outside Ballina RSL while a lone piper played.

Earlier this year, Mr Ewen was awarded the NSW Premier’s Flood Emergency Citation and Medal.

He is survived by his wife Kerry, daughters Angie and Gill, his sons-in-law, stepchildren and their partners, and six grandchildren.