A BIG man, with a big heart who had principles is how the late Ern Kotlash is being remembered.
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The Wrights Beach resident passed away at his home, overlooking his beloved St Georges Basin, on April 28 after a short illness, aged 81.
Ernest John Kotlash was born in Sydney in 1937 and grew up in Hunters Hill.
He met his wife of more than 60 years, Val, after being introduced by his future brother-in-law.
They both attended Teachers College together in Wagga Wagga and married in 1959.
Their son John recalled one of their early adventures.
It was 1960, the year that the USSR tested the first Hydrogen bomb, the Cold War was heating up, Vietnam was heating up, the year that Kennedy was elected, the year that OPEC was created.
His friend Graham Marshall decided he was going to ride a motorbike around the world and invited Ern to join him.
Ern told Val he was going...and that she could go too, if she wanted. She did and they were joined by Graham's wife Ruth.
A ship to London then a flat in Putney. They shared a flat with Ruth and Graham and a car too...they saw Southern Europe and took a train to Milan where they purchased a Lambretta Motor Scooter - 75 CC's of pure joy.
Val taught at Elephant and Castle (at a religious school), Ern PE in Shepherds Bush.
On the weekends they toured England. They had one spring holiday in Scotland, a white Christmas in England, and holidays in Norway and Sweden.
The following year they left the warmth of Spain to go visit the Yugoslav relatives in Herzegovina, where Ern got in trouble for carrying the water for the women - that was seen as "women's work" according to the old men.
He was even thrown into prison in Yugoslavia for taking photos of a naval base.
They then sailed from Naples to New York on the Vulcania, in third class with the poor migrants heading to a better life in the US.
The purser gave em the nod to go to the other parts of the ship... where they experienced for the first time... Horderves!
They took a couple of months riding across America on the Lambretta motor scooter before returning home in 1961, accompanied by their scooter, which was a much loved family possession for many years.
Upon returning home they continued their teaching careers, which included numerous moves around NSW.
Ern's first teaching post was at Greenvalley in Western Sydney before taking up a principal's role at Villawood East Public School.
Their daughter Jill arrived in 1965 and son John in 1967.
He became principal at Coolah Central School in the Central West, which was kindergarten to year 12.
From there he was offered the position of school inspector and was based at Dubbo for four years and then Wollongong for the duration of the rest of his career, except for his final year, which was in Cooma, before retiring at age 58.
Ern had a love of the water and when the family lived in Dubbo, in the middle of NSW, ironically he decided to get a sailing boat, despite the nearest dam being one and a half hours travel away, Lake Burrendong.
When Jill unexpectedly fell ill with cancer, Ern needed something to keep him occupied during that horrible time.
He built a boat - a 24 foot catamaran, later christened the Snow Goose.
He built it from the husk of two empty hulls before travelling down the coast on the back of a trailer...where it rested for a long time, sometimes progressing, sometimes not...the mast was raised...the itchy and scratchy time with fibreglass everywhere... eventually the day came and the boat went.
Sadly during that time Jill, had died of cancer.
Ern got the boat sailing... but ended up having it moored (you got it a 1 1/2 hour drive away from the home in Cooma), on Lake Eucumbene.
It was during those years in Cooma he was counting his pennies for retirement and hatched a plan to live somewhere with the boat close this time.
The retirement came off well, with the couple retiring from Cooma to Wrights Beach, right on the basin of St George and with golf clubs for Val.
It was with great sadness that he had to sell the boat two years ago.
It now sits proudly in Jervis Bay moored at Callala Bay. The Snow Goose lives on.
Long-time friend Veronica Husted described Ern as a "fair man".
"In the words of Justice Higgins, he believed in a 'fair go all round'. That was Ern. A very passionate man. A man with old fashioned principles, from a man who was once a principal.
"He was a founding member of the Jervis Bay St Georges Basin Labor Branch.
"He was very passionate about the Australian Labor party and what it stands for.
"Ern made a major contribution in both his career in the education system, firstly as a teacher then principal and ultimately as an inspector of schools and also in his retired life.
"Ern was laid back but also a voice of reason. His organisational skills and attention to detail were legendary in local Labor campaigns and he worked on every one from the time he arrived in the South Coast.
"A marvellous human, he loved his family, his friends, the Australian Labor Party, sailing on the Basin, a glass or two of good red wine, he converted a few of us to pepper jack, his singing group and life in the piece of paradise he shared with Val, his wife and life partner of over 60 years.
"We waged war on right wing ideologies, even against our own if it was necessary and for his tireless activities, was awarded the McKell Award, which is only given for those who give meritorious service to the ALP.
"A person of strong ethical, social and moral standards. He was a staunch defender and practitioner of the public education system and his legacy continues today.
"Someone who could be relied on at every call. He did not waste words, sometimes with Ern his responses or notes could be one short sentence, but it told a great story."
A large crowd of mourners celebrated his life at the Shoalhaven Crematorium Chapel on Saturday May 4.