The front line . . .

. . . is where you could expect to see Kevin, either fighting a bushfire with the New South Wales Rural Fire Service or fighting in the name of his God with the Salvation Army. Today, it was his funeral, and scores of comrades from both organisations joined his family and other friends to honour him and celebrate his life. Kevin was seriously injured in a head-on road crash more than 20 years ago that left him on a disability pension. That didn't stop him giving his all in community service, for which he received a number of awards and citations - including a medal for bravery. In recent times, a battle with cancer cost him a fair bit of weight, but finally it was a stroke that took him. And so we won't see his tall figure around any more, striding along under his trademark wide-brimmed bush hat. But he's not gone altogether. As the Salvation Army would say, he's simply been Promoted to Glory.