A big crowd is expected to farewell Jim Fouras on Monday at the Greek Orthodox Church in South Melbourne after he died from a heart attack earlier this month aged 83.
Fouras was the former speaker of the Queensland Parliament and Member for Ashgrove.
Member for Cooper Jonty Bush, whose electorate covers Ashgrove, said the pollie loved a chat.
“A five minute walk down the road would turn into an hour with Jim as everyone stopped to say hello,” says Bush.
“During last year’s election, Jim campaigned for me every day. His energy was that of a 20-year-old. He had so many stories the man could have written a dozen autobiographies. The sign of a life well lived.”
Fouras left Kalavryta for Queensland at 10 years old with very little English. He graduated with a double degree in Science and Economics from the University of Queensland.
He was the Labor member for South Melbourne between 1977 and 1986 before working as a Human Rights Commissioner investigating homelessness in Australia.
He held the seat of Ashgrove between 1989 and 2006, becoming speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 1990 to 1996.
His tenure as speaker was not without controversy. The ALP tried to dump Fouras as speaker in 1995 after the party was elected with a one-seat majority.
Fouras is survived by his wife Tanya, his children Yanoula, Athanasi, and Andreas, and seven grandchildren.
Source: Courier Mail
