Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home News Australia

Father says final farewell to his son: ‘Goodnight Cole’

byEmilie Ng
13 January 2016 - Updated on 1 April 2021
Reading Time: 3 mins read
AA

Tearful goodbye: Steven and Mary-Leigh sprinkle the coffin of their son, 18 year-old one-punch victim Cole Miller during his funeral service in Brisbane, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016. Cole died in hospital on January 4 from massive brain trauma a day after allegedly being hit in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley. Photo: AAP Image

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Tearful goodbye: Steven and Mary-Leigh sprinkle the coffin of their son, 18 year-old one-punch victim Cole Miller during his funeral service in Brisbane, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016. Cole died in hospital on January 4 from massive brain trauma a day after allegedly being hit in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley. Photo: AAP Image
Tearful goodbye: Steven and Mary-Leigh sprinkle the coffin of their son, 18 year-old one-punch victim Cole Miller during his funeral service in Brisbane, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016. Cole died in hospital on January 4 from massive brain trauma a day after allegedly being hit in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley. Photo: AAP Image

COLE Miller claimed a regular spot in mum and dad’s bed as a young boy growing up on the Sunshine Coast.

The day Steve Miller knew his son wanted a cuddle from dad stole his heart.

“Cole could hold my heart with his every being, and still does,” Mr Miller said.

The tearful father of Cole Miller, the 18-year-old who died of an alleged unprovoked attack in Fortitude Valley last week, farewelled his son at his funeral today.

“Goodnight Cole,” he said.

With sons Mitch and Billy, Mr Miller said the family would never get used to life without The Water Polo Kid.

“We will never get used to not having Cole around, and we don’t want to get used to not having him around,” he said.

“He’s with us forever.”

The rising water polo star who played for the Brisbane Barracudas found his athletic stride after watching brother Billy at the London Olympics in 2012.

“He was the proudest boy in the world watching older brother Billy at the Olympics, and he even cheered louder than his dad,” Mr Miller said.

Related Stories

St Rita’s rising water polo stars seize gold in New Zealand

Bus driver burnt to death in horrific attack remembered in emotional memorial with Indian family

English cardinal calls for peace and more understanding after London mosque attack

“He cherished watching every game.

“His idol Billy helped him go from a boy to a young man, and Cole trained hard alongside his Olympian brother.

“It was now his time to shine.

“Cole was very willing to commit to see his dream eventuate.

“He will always be The Water Polo Kid.”

Cole Miller
Remembered: Cole Miller

The Miller family organised wristbands for family and friends attending the private wake, inscribed with the messages: ‘Rest in peace, Cole’ and ‘Love in Truth and Action’.

Queensland police said two 21-year-old men have had their charges upgraded to unlawful striking causing the death of Mr Miller.

About 3.30am on January 3, Mr Miller was walking with a man on Duncan Street when he was allegedly assaulted.

He suffered serious head injuries and was taken to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead on January 4.

Members of the Sisters of Mercy had organised Mr Miller’s funeral service at the family’s request, led by Toowoomba diocesan priests Fathers Rod and John MacGinley, longtime friends of Mrs Miller.


Strong friendship offers hope to grieving family at son’s farewell.

The MacGinleys and the Cooks held strong bonds for more than 130 years, the strength of which showed on Wednesday, January 13.

Until that fateful day, it had been almost 30 years since the brothers were in the same room as Mrs Miller, who is a nurse for the Sisters of Mercy.

An attack in Fortitude Valley that left Mrs Miller’s son, promising athlete Cole Miller, fatally injured, reunited the family friendship one more time in 130 years.

Five of the MacGinleys, including two Mercy Sisters Sr Joan MacGinley and Sr Patricia MacGinley, and married sister Kathleen O’Rourke, sat inside Brisbane’s St Stephen’s Cathedral to farewell Cole Miller (pictured) at his funeral Mass, with brothers Fr Rod and Fr John leading the emotional liturgy.

Fr Rod had never met the charismatic 18-year-old star from the Brisbane Barracudas Water Polo Club.

It was not the family reunion the priest was expecting.

“No one wants that,” Fr MacGinley said.

Fr MacGinley recalled the story of Cain and Abel at Cole Miller’s funeral today.

“The first murder on earth was between Cain and Abel, and when God asked Cain what had happened to his brother, he said, ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’,” Fr MacGinley said.

“In this sense, yes, we are the keepers of our brothers.

“If we neglect to reach out in truthfulness, in justice, in love, we are planting the seeds of violence.

“Whether it’s one punch, or political violence, economic violence, domestic violence, it all dates back to the principal of whether we care for one another.

“As Jesus proclaimed, ‘Love one another as I have loved you’.”

By Emilie Ng

ShareTweet
Previous Post

Detention centre ‘hell’ kept young married couple apart over Christmas

Next Post

Young Brisbane man steps up to serve the Melkites

Emilie Ng

Emilie Ng is a Brisbane-based journalist for The Catholic Leader.

Related Posts

Water polo team
Education

St Rita’s rising water polo stars seize gold in New Zealand

25 July 2018 - Updated on 16 March 2021
Bus driver memorial
News

Bus driver burnt to death in horrific attack remembered in emotional memorial with Indian family

1 November 2017 - Updated on 1 April 2021
London attack
News

English cardinal calls for peace and more understanding after London mosque attack

21 June 2017 - Updated on 1 April 2021
Next Post
Melkite deacon

Young Brisbane man steps up to serve the Melkites

Benedict Slee

Young graduate makes radical trip for unborn children

Youth council

Brisbane Catholics add voice to national youth council

Popular News

  • Man of faith: Newly-ordained priest Fr El Louie Jiminez with Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge at St Stephen's Cathedral on June 29. Photos: Alan Edgecomb / Purple Moon Photography

    Fr El Louie Jimenez ordained

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Fr Josh braves ‘freezing’ June night to raise awareness for homelessness at Vinnies Sleepout

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Australian Plenary Council aims to avert Church ‘moment of crisis’

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Archbishop Coleridge unveils new cross at Banyo church

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Sunnybank’s ninth Multicultural Mass unites 16 languages in prayer

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

Sunnybank’s ninth Multicultural Mass unites 16 languages in prayer
QLD

Sunnybank’s ninth Multicultural Mass unites 16 languages in prayer

by Joe Higgins
1 July 2022
0

SUNNYBANK parishioner Ross Frassetto loved to see so much involvement from parishioners in the parts of the...

Evarist D’Souza

Archbishop Coleridge unveils new cross at Banyo church

1 July 2022
Netball Superstar: St John Fisher student Jayden Molo.

St John Fisher College student selected for the Australian Netball U17 Squad

1 July 2022
Plenary task: “Reveal the face of Christ”

Australian Plenary Council aims to avert Church ‘moment of crisis’

30 June 2022
Man of faith: Newly-ordained priest Fr El Louie Jiminez with Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge at St Stephen's Cathedral on June 29. Photos: Alan Edgecomb / Purple Moon Photography

Fr El Louie Jimenez ordained

30 June 2022

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping