In 1956, Noel’s father, Robert Stoyles, entered the Australian
Air Force as an Engine Mechanic. It was here that he met the love of his life,
Elaine Battistuzzi a Safety Equipment Worker. After 7 seven years of
marriage on January 19th 1963 Noel Robert Stoyles was born in Footscray,
Victoria. There, he was greeted by an older sister Karen and later joined
by his younger sister Anne-Maree.
In May 1967 Noel’s father Robert was deployed to Vietnam to
serve in the war as a Helicopter Crewman. In the time he was away the family
spent many months staying with grandma Bat in Kyogle, a woman Noel always spoke
fondly of.
Noel also often spoke of his trips to visit his Fa in Goulburn,
about their days together. Particularly their trips to the local pub where
as a young boy he would regularly enjoy chicken chips and ginger beer alongside
his grandfather. His love for Fa was such that when asked where we could
find Noel in heaven he replied “In the bush with Fa.”
Robert returned safely from the war and in 1970 completed a
course in Richmond, New South Wales to be a Flight Engineer for the Hercules
C130. The family joined him shortly after, where Noel attended Hobartville
Public School and just like that the Blues gained another supporter.
For Noel home simply meant one thing… being outdoors. His
love of nature was realised through endless days canoeing, afternoons attending
boy scouts, nights camping under the stars and of course playing rugby
league. It was thought that nothing could make young Noely happier than
wandering about the bush. However that all changed one glorious summer day when
his parents gifted him a Hodaka Dirt Squirt Bike! From that moment on Noely’s
passion evolved from loving nature to loving going extremely fast through
nature.
At school, Dyslexia hindered Noel from being the highest
achiever academically but his natural born ability to create absolutely
anything with his hands made up for it in spades. This was exemplified when
Baulkham Hills High School awarded Noel the highest level of craftsmanship for
his hand made fiberglass surf ski. As outstanding of an achievement as
this was, there is no doubt that Noel felt the real prize he took from that
school was his friendship with Fletcher Christian. Up until this point in life,
Noely had been the meat in the sister sandwich of life. Having two sisters
bookend him throughout his formative years most likely speaks to Noel’s innate
ability to empathise and make you feel his love even when his words were
few.
With Fletch he found his lifelong best friend, partner in crime
and long lost brother. They were often labelled as “Always getting
into mischief” but if you ever wanted to see the grandest smile with eyes
ablaze from years of fond memories all you simply had to do was ask Noel to tell
a story about their wild adventures together.
By 1982 teenage Noely and Fletch are well into the glory days of
riding motorbikes, drifting his red HG Ute and dodging speeding
tickets. As they aged the passions they shared as young men never changed
but slightly tamed, less so for Fletch. Noel’s children cherish listening to
Fletch’s tales of these days, they could close their eyes and
imagine their father young and free. A few years back, Noel and
Fletcher’s greatest childhood dream was realised when they travelled to England
to attend the Isle of Man TT. These days you are more likely to hear
stories of that trip as they both consider it the highlight of their
motorcycling lives.
After completing year ten at Baulkham Hills Highschool Noel went
on to complete a Panel Beating apprenticeship for A.R.Prudames and sons in
Northmead NSW.
In 1980 work called Noel’s parents back to Victoria. They
purchased Noely a caravan so he could stay to continue his apprenticeship and
he found no place better to keep it than the Castle Hill Showgrounds. Noel
resided here for years with none other than; you guessed it, Fletchy. In
1982 the stars of Noels future would align in the shape of his friend Paul
Ramsey’s sister Anne-Marie. Now, it has been said that women of all
shapes, sizes and ages considered Noel Stoyles to be the most magnificent
specimen on earth. One family member even referred to him as a “God”. Many
hearts must have broken the day he laid eyes on Anne-Marie, as from that moment
on his heart belonged to her.
Anne-Marie however was not as convinced. She kept wondering
why this older, well put-together, stoic gentleman was hanging around her crazy
brother and Fletch. Little did she know that while he was not nearly as “old”
as he appeared (a mere 2 years) he was also after her heart. It didn’t take
long for the fireworks to spark; ones that have continued to light up their
lives for almost 40 years! If you were to look up what true unconditional
love looks like you would find endless pages taken from the love story of Noel
and Anne-Marie. So at the tender age of 17 and 19 the two began their
4-year courtship. They found equal enjoyment playing squash, camping and
spending their free time with friends. The couple was a joy to be around;
the love they shared was infectious and thus anywhere they roamed they easily
acquired friendships that would last a lifetime.
After purchasing their first home in Grafton, New South Wales in
1985 the pair married on the 14th of February 1986. As they professed
their vows to love and cherish through sickness and health the beautiful young
couple, so excited for their future, could have never anticipated how powerful
the words of that commitment would turn out to be. Just 34 years later,
their final anniversary was spent holding hands in a hospital bed before Noel
underwent a 13-hour cranial surgery to remove the tumour encroaching his
brain. The family sat waiting in agonising silence to hear if he had
survived this massive undertaking. In hindsight, worry was unnecessary,
because they should have known that there was no chance in hell Noel Stoyles
would ever leave the love of his life on Their Day!
1986 was a big year for Noel and Anne-Marie; they had an entire
ten months of marital bliss before Julian Robert Stoyles arrived to shake up
the party. Two years later another son came bursting onto the scene in the form
of Brennan Joseph Stoyles, and the stage was set for the endless 4 Wheel Drive
camping adventures that would follow. The foursome was inseparable, except
for the long hours spent by the young parents hustling to build a better life.
Noel worked tirelessly as a panel beater and Anne-Marie as a hairdresser to
make ends meet. Often this meant a tight budget, hand me downs, and going
without but this only fuelled their determination to build a magnificent life
for themselves and their sons. What the family lacked in funds they made up for
in love and enjoyment of simply being together. Noel and Anne-Marie had a knack
for creating fun and excitement for their young boys simply by being in nature. A
passion Noely took from his childhood and Anne-Marie so cleverly cultivated
into a lifestyle. As a family they joined four-wheel drive and ski clubs,
the boys also played soccer and hockey. Noely taught his young boys to swim and
ride and it wasn’t long before the two were known as a couple of the fiercest
competitors around. They were a family dedicated to one another; respect
was shared and laughter found in abundance. While the pressures of
adulthood surely existed for this young duo only in their mid 20s, it was never
felt by the children.
Noel was offered a position at TCI Industries in 1993.
This would require the brood to relocate from their first family home in
Grafton, NSW to Brisbane, QLD. Not long after, they found their forever home
in Wellington Point. Anne-Marie’s creative mind paired with Noel’s
incomparable engineering ability provided them everything needed to magically
transform a simple farmhouse into a beautiful contemporary split-level
home. Over the years the true highlight of the Wellington Point home
presented itself in the form of the outside living area. It was here that they
would host endless gatherings. While the guest list started out with their
own friends it eventually grew to incorporate their children’s as well, and it
wasn’t long before their home was well known as the neighbourhood hangout. No
notice was required and you could stay as long as you liked; everyone was
always welcome at the Stoyles household. When Noel and Anne-Marie would
retire from the festivities it delighted the two to lie in bed listening to the
voices of their children partying with friends below their bedroom window. For
27 years their unending hospitality shaped the platform for endless fond
memories shared; so much so that when it came time for their eldest son to
marry, he and his wife found no venue more fitting.
It was the mid 90s and the Stoyles family was in full movement
at all times; Noel working overtime to afford their new home, Anne-Marie
hairdressing and running the boys around to their boundless activities such as
swimming, cycling and nippers. It is a wonder when the parents
found the time but in 1995 they created their greatest masterpiece to date,
daughter Chloe Louise Stoyles. One would think there would be a shift in
dynamic with the arrival of a new baby girl but that was not the case for this
crew. The weekends continued to include long distance trips to cycling
competitions and four-wheel drive expeditions with little baby Chloe in toe. The
brothers absolutely adored her, they included her in everything; even
activities Mum might have wished they hadn’t. Such as teaching their 5-year-old
sister to launch herself from the pool house roof to the swimming pool
below. Unlike her brothers who were lighting ants on fire and clubbing
toads Chloe had developed a passion for animals. It’s safe to say she is wholly
responsible for almost every family pet they ever owned. Their first dog
Bugsy may have wandered into their home from the streets but it was Chloe you
could find on her little tricycle towing the new family pet’s never-ending
litter of puppies all around town. She was the apple of her father’s eye
and there was nothing he wouldn’t do to put a smile on her little face.
The years went on in family bliss for Noel and Anne-Marie.
They fell in love with Stradbroke Island; this beautiful paradise would provide
the backdrop for their holidays and free time spent together. In recent years
they purchased a beach shack in Amity Point and once again worked their magic
to single handedly transform it into a local gem! They both envisioned retiring
to this special place and spending the rest of their days under the glorious
shade of the native hibiscus tree in the front yard. Their hard work was
beginning to pay off in the early 2000s, which afforded them the luxury of
taking trips abroad to sightsee and hike. Adventures that took the couple to
Alaska, Canada, New Zealand, Tasmania, Hong Kong, Bali, South America and the
States. The family of five also managed a spectacular cruise to Vanuatu, a trip
they still look back on as one of their very best. Travel and exploration was a
favourite pastime for the couple and when possible they preferred sharing it
with loved ones. Many trips included Anne-Marie’s brother Paul and wife
Bridget who were not only family, but also their life long friends. Of
course their children's friends were also always welcome, creating forever
memories for not only their family unit but for a large crew of people who were
lucky enough to join them. They purchased an Ocean Trek Motor Catamaran,
which took family time to the water. It provided years of beautiful
togetherness that the family of five will always cherish.
For all the fun they were having, equal attention and energy was
always paid to serious business. Anne-Marie owned and operated three of her own
salons throughout her adult years and in 2003 Noel took a leap of faith and
left his workshop supervisor position at ReCar to launch Bayside Pontoon
Repairs. For the next 17 years he would work tirelessly to grow this start up
into one of the best known and respected marina building operations in the
country. Anne-Marie managed the bookwork while Noel worked out ingenious ways
to solve any floating problem that others could not. This was to be a family
business of the truest kind. Brennan was the first of the recruits, who at the
tender age of 15 became one of the business’ original employees. Two years
later Julian started his 15-year tenure, where he quickly graduated ranks into
a leadership role alongside his father. Young Chloe even loved to help her
father fish dropped tools out of the water when she could. Noel’s children
recount that from early childhood their father always took great pride and care
in teaching them about everything anything he knew and understood.
Brennan recalls walks through the bush where his dad would stop at tree and
discuss in remarkable detail every fact there was to know about it.
In the weeks leading up to his passing, Bayside Pontoon Repairs was constantly
on Noel lips. The business he built from scratch was being forced into full
liquidation. To look into his eyes you could see that anguish had been
brought on by this necessary evil. He would point out pontoons as the family
passed by and would proudly state, “We built that!” When the question was posed
“Is it difficult watching your things be sold?” He smiled and said that’s not
the hard part the hard part is letting the memories go.
Noel looked at the family business as the time in his life where
he truly taught his children the importance of hard work. He realised, now that
his time was being cut far too short, those years with his boys lugging
timber up and down the mile long docks were the days where he
instilled in them his most important teachings, and gave them the tools necessary
to blaze their own trail. Through the business he taught all three of his
children what it was to be a true partner, it wasn’t always easy, in fact it
was a struggle but it was a struggle that made Anne-Marie and Noel’s bond
invincible, because they never gave up on each other or their dream. He showed
them how to build a life where they were in control of their own freedom, so
they could be parents present in their children’s world to teach them these
same lessons. He admitted that he didn’t realise any of this while they were
slugging it out under the unforgiving Australian Sun or clarifying the details
of a quote with his wife. As in any great story Noely didn’t fully
understand where his plot had been headed until it was the very last pages. The
look in his eyes was not actually pain at all, it was gratitude at the
realisation that without even knowing it, this family business had granted him
cherished time with his loved ones, that they would not have shared had he
stayed working for someone else. The day before he passed, Noel’s family took
him for a stroll out of Saint Vincent’s hospital to its garden overlooking the
Brisbane River. Across the way stood the botanical gardens, and the marina they
had built last year. He requested his camera and with his one barely
operating eye took a magnificent photo of the marina. One can't help but
feel compelled to think Noel was taking a picture of his life work, these
structures represented his family and all they had achieved together. The
marina is beautiful but what it represents is irreplaceable. Noel saw his
legacy.
2015 easily crowned itself as one of the best years of Noel’s
life, when his son Brennan and daughter-in-law Tania welcomed their baby girl
Freya to the world. It is said that perfect love can be seen through watching a
man with his grandchildren. Never was this truer than observing Noely with his
first grandchild. He could spend endless hours just looking at her perfect
face. She mesmerised him with her dancing and singing talents and athletic
abilities. Noel wanted nothing more than to be in her presence and watch his
son flourish as a father. Freya absolutely idolised her Papa; they developed a
precious bond that warmed all of our hearts. The night before he went into his
13-hour surgery you could find Freya walking him to his bedroom and instructing
him to “Put these special rocks under your pillow Papa because they will keep
you safe and I don’t want you to die.” When asked where she thought her papa
was now she has said I think he is a big tree. Pretty remarkable considering
her Papa told us we could find him in the bush in heaven, and one of Brennan’s
fondest memories of his father is walking through the bush together and
stopping to discuss a tree in detail. If for nothing else, it exemplifies
how well this little five year old knew and loved her Papa.
In contrast, 2020 would have presented its self to be the
absolute worst year in Noel’s life except for one major event of epic
proportions. Brennan and Tania once again granted him the greatest gift,
this time in the form of a baby boy Finn. I should point out that the real hero
here was Tania because even though she did all the heavy lifting Finny came out
the spitting image of Brennan as a baby. There are no words to describe what
this moment meant to Noel. The only way to do it any justice is to point out
that of the thousands of pictures we sorted through from his 57 years, the one
we all love most captures Noel holding his grandson for the first time. We
were all cheated of more time with our Noely but none more so then his grandchildren.
Not many people leave this earth with a signature colour for
their loved ones to remember them by, in this rare case Vivid Cerulean Blue
cant help but trigger ones subconscious to conjure up a picture of Noel Stoyles
sitting in his RX-7. After work and on weekends you could find Noel reinventing
Mazda’s concept of a race car. He enjoyed sharing this hobby with his family and
friends and would often take them out to track even if it were only to watch
the old boy make one lap before the inevitable belt snap. On one particular
trip Chloe was solo with her father and was tasked to run around town to buy
every fan belt available to keep his blue baby on the track. For all the
pleasure Noel took behind the wheel his heart was never more full than watching
his sons partake in his favourite pastime. Anne-Marie was close by in the pits
making sandwiches and keeping her racers hydrated. She could sometimes be
caught sneaking a cheeky wine into the stands, she wasn’t a racer herself, but
happily acted a camera women to film her husband in his glory.
Along with his signature colour Noel will also be remember for
his incredible rock playlist which acted as the soundtrack to his life.
The songs on this page are a reflection of his love of music. When
his eyes began to fail and his car shows were no longer as easy to enjoy you
could find Noel outback by a fire cranking those tunes. Anne-Marie recalls the
enjoyment it brought her to arrive to the work shed and witness her rugged man
slaving away to the sounds of Adele. A few years back, she blew Noel
away with a last minute surprise trip to New Zealand to watch the
superstar live. He had goosebumps from the first note to the
last.
We have now travelled through 57 years of the most outstanding
moments of an extraordinary life. We could stop the story here and you
would walk away with a grand understanding of Noel Stoyles incredible
legacy. However, as painful as it may be, we would be remiss in not
honouring Noel’s epic battle with cancer. As the leading cause of death
worldwide, almost 10 million people suffered the same fate as our Noely this
year. One would hope they were able to find the tenacity to fight with the same
passion and grace as our guy, but the reality is that not many humans are cut
from a cloth as strong as Noel’s. There wasn’t a doctor’s visit that he
didn’t find a way to make everyone in the room smile, he was equipped with
unlimited one-liners that would instantly lighten the mood. When asked by
the nurses if he was allergic to anything he would respond “Just Cancer”. Every
single day, he apologised to his loved ones; he couldn’t stand to be the root
of their hurt and worry. Could you image apologising for an illness completely
out of your control? Noel was this selfless. If he did have anxieties
about death and what was to become of him he never once burdened anyone he
loved with it.
Anne-Marie proved herself to be a worthy advisory to our
warrior. She never missed a beat keeping the multitude of appointments,
treatments and scripts organised. They created a giant calendar out of
their kitchen door, the countless blue scribbles on each daily block told the
tale of just how much effort goes into running a business while fighting for
your life. They never gave up hope that they were going to beat this. Surely,
the biggest task for Anne-Marie was transforming her sweet tooth snacking hubby
into an organic health conscious cancer fighter. After years of being on a very
strict diet and trying every treatment possible, Noel was given the devastating
news that there was no was no options left. His response, “I’m going to
eat anything and everything I fucking want!” If you wanted to be Noel’s
hero in the past two months all you had to do was walk in the house with a
stash of apple turnovers and a tub of ice cream, along with an understanding
that he had no intention of sharing. The past three years could have been
tragic and sad, Noel could have been angry and distanced himself. It would
be human nature to become depressed at being robbed of the years you
expected. Noel chose to carry this burden as if it didn’t exist. The day
he found out his cancer was back for a second time he took Anne-Marie, Julian,
Mary and Bentley across Moreton Bay to snorkel at the wrecks. Family trips
were planned, holidays were celebrated and jobs kept being quoted.
On December 12, 2020 Noel gave us all one final example of just
how beautiful a human he was. On finding out that he had only weeks to
live his daughter Chloe sat down with him and together they decided to throw
one last bash to farewell all his friends and family. The two sat down and
listed all the people he had been closest to during his time here on earth and
she, Anne-Marie, Julian and Brennan began the heartbreaking task of not only
letting all these special people know that his time left with us was limited
but that he requested their presence for one last rocking party in the family
backyard. Friends and family poured in from all over the country to be by his
side for his final farewell. For all the money that gets dumped into
expensive gatherings there is none that could ever compare to that potluck
dinner under Noel’s favourite fairy lights with his RX-7 revving in the
garage. As he made his rounds, reminiscing and thanking the crowd for the
memories, even the greatest oncologist on earth would never guess that he was
19 days from leaving us.
The people at that party got the Noel they always knew and
loved. Those who had been witness to the behind the scenes nose bleeds and deteriorating
health sat back in awe of his ability to entertain his guests not only for
minutes, as they had expected, but for hours! When he got on the mic to
thank everyone for his beautiful life you would have needed to posses a heart
of stone for it not to break. He took his final stride down to bed, but
left the window open so he could fall asleep to voices of those he loved, just
as he had always done at every party they ever held.
A person that helped lessen his burden through this devastating
three-year battle was his daughter Chloe. Noel stated that he fell in love
with his daughter all over again in watching her effort to assist in any way
she could. She took time off work to tend to both of her parents recovering
from surgery without requesting aid of anyone else. She proved time and time
again that she was worthy of the title Noel Stoyles only Daughter and Noel
couldn’t be more proud of her dedication to her family.
Even at the age of 25 Chloe loved nothing more than walking hand
in hand with her father, the status of daddy’s little girl is one that will
remain for a life time.
Noely also spoke of how proud he was to watch Brennan as a
husband and father. No one understood the responsibilities of a married man
with small children better than Noel. Bren and Tan gave him a gift that no one
else ever could in the form Freya and Finn, he cherished and appreciated every
single moment he spent with them. Seeing his grandchildren brought him back to
be a young parent himself and all the hopes he had for his own children. One
day Brennan walked in the house and Noel said, “Jules is that you” Brennan replied,
“No its the ugly one” to which his father responded, “No it’s the athletic
one!” Noely loved to gush about Brennan’s many accomplishments in sport
and how he swam around the entire gold coast to out run a wicked rip current. It’s
safe to say Brennie held a very special place in his father’s heart.
The other person Noel would tell you about it his much loved first
born child Julian. Julian, for the past three years, has travelled back to
Australia at the drop of a hat time and time again to show his love and support
for his father. Assisting in any way he could to keep the business afloat and
help ease the burden on Noel and Anne-Marie’s backs. Acts that left our Noely speechless
when trying to express his love and appreciation for all his son had done.
The story ends as beautifully as it began. Noel spent
his final Christmas with his mother, father, sisters, children, grandchildren
and Fletch. At one point he leaned over to his beautiful bride and
whispered, “I made it.” For the next week he would slowly start to fade
in and out of consciousness. Anne-Marie never left his side. Her undying love
for Noel pushed her through her own anguish to help ease him to his final
breath. The night before he passed they took one final shower together
where he even washed her back for her, they were devoted to one another to the
very end. He would have one final day where he was his true self laughing with
his children and wife and cracking jokes with the doctors before making his
grand exit on New Years Eve. He will never be forgotten, none of our lives will
ever be the same and the grief of a loss this great is exactly as it should be,
absolutely crippling.
This website will act as living testament to Noel’s time here
with all of us. Please continue to help the family heal by sharing your
photos, memories and comments. Thank you for loving Noel as much as we did.