By Dongyun Kwon
The Yarra Valley community is in mourning following the passing of Robert Frank Heritage.
Robert Frank Heritage, known as Robbie, died with his family close by on Friday 27 September, as a result of complications that came from radium treatment.
His funeral was held at the Heritage Pioneers Chapel in Woori Yallock on Saturday 5 October.
Robbie’s son Gavan said he admired his dad for his passion for funeral service and the Yarra Valley community.
“His whole life was around funeral service, he didn’t like any sport, his whole life was about our business and what we did,” he said.
“Aside from family, he was very passionate about our business, and all the wonderful people that we have working with us in the business.
“He loved the fact that we were an independent family-owned and operated funeral business.”
Robbie was born on 1 December 1940 and raised in Healesville.
Because he left school early when he was 14, he got to experience a number of different jobs as a plumber, a truckie and a school bus driver while helping his dad with funeral service.
At the age of 24, when Robbie’s father Frank Sperry Heritage, the founder of the Heritage and Heritage Funerals, died, Robbie and his brother Keith took on the business and expanded it.
In 1986, the business was purchased by the Le Pine Funerals.
Robbie took a break from the industry for about 10 years, and he came back to the funeral service as he bought the land in Wantirna in 1996 to open up a new funeral home, which ended up being opened the following year.
In 2009, Robbie opened up one more funeral home in Woori Yallock as he always wanted to bring his business back to the Yarra Valley.
“Because dad’s always had such a passion for the area, he wanted to be able to give something back,” Gavan said.
The man, who was passionate about helping local families through their grief, offering compassion and support during their most challenging moments, loved the Yarra Valley a lot throughout his whole life.
The son said Robbie was full of a sense of community as he had grown up in Healesville, a small town, like a village type of environment.
“That’s something that stayed with dad for all his life. He’s always been wanting to help people that have been at their time of need, whether it be a funeral or something else,” Gavan said.
“He loved the Yarra Valley very very much, he always had a strong affiliation with doing the right thing by people, and he loved the mountains because he worked in the bush with the logging.”
Gavan has worked with his dad for most of his life in different businesses.
The business has extended to the fourth generation of the Heritage Family as Robbie’s daughter Janet Mansley and Gavan run the business along with help from Janet’s daughter Charlotte, Gavan’s daughter Jaime and son Lachlan.
“Even prior to going into hospital for the radium treatment, dad came into work every day,” Gavan said.
“His pride in what we do was very important to him, and he enjoyed working with all of our staff and was very proud of what we did.”
Robbie is survived by his wife Elaine, daughter Sandra, son Gavan and daughter Janet.
