Farewell to Friends

Last week the SCLA lost two of our dear friends.  Fay McKinnon and Barry Corcoran both served on the SCLA executive and will be greatly missed.



I met Fay only a few years ago when she joined the Sunshine Coast Literary Association and attended Front Write Up.  It was during my term as president (2008 -2009) that I came to know her as a friend and associate.

She volunteered as treasurer of the Association but owing to our small committee of helpers, she also did the work of membership and promotion in her usual efficient style.  She was my “right hand” when I was president and the SCLA gained much through her efforts.

When she learned of her illness almost a year ago, she determined to live every minute:  playing bridge, lunching with friends, arranging her affairs and only last Thursday she enjoyed the WARM Writers Competition awards presentation dinner.  I admired her courage and tenacity to make the most of her life.

She recently confided, laughingly, that ‘‘she was the epitome of the main character in the movie ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, in her past role in the Sydney corporate world.  But beneath the tough exterior lay a compassionate and considerate spirit.  I am privileged to call her “friend” and say:
‘Thank you, Fay,’
 Rest In Peace

Pam Hardgrave
Past President, SCLA




After a career in finance, which took him to America and the Bahamas, Barry began writing short, humorous stories that have appeared in local papers and magazines.

His first novel, The Third Arm, was published in 2008. It is a financial fraud thriller, with a large proportion of it based on his experiences while working as a Chartered Accountant in New York and Washington DC.

Barry joined the SCLA in May 2008 and was the Treasurer since August last year, until his recent illness. He is survived by his wife Sheila, two adult children Liz and Vincent and six grandchildren.

Hari Kotrotsios
President, SCLA