Golf Australia and the PGA of Australia have led the tributes to Jarrod Lyle, who died yesterday aged 36 after a long battle with leukaemia.
The BBC reports that Lyle overcame acute myeloid leukaemia in 1998 and 2012, but it returned last year. He passed away yesterday after spending his final week with family and friends in Torquay, Victoria. He is survived by wife Briony and daughters Lusi, six, and Jemma, two.
In a statement published on the Golf Australia website, Lyle’s wife Briony said: “It breaks my heart to tell everyone that Jarrod is no longer with us. He passed away peacefully at 8.20pm last night, having spent his final week in Torquay among his family and close friends.
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“Lusi, Jemma and I are filled with grief and now must confront our lives without the greatest husband and father we could ever have wished for.
“At the same time, we have been blessed and overwhelmed with the messages and actions of support from around the world and feel comforted that Jarrod was able to happily impact so many people throughout his life. Our humble thanks to you all.”
Calling Lyle a “wonderful father, friend and golfer”, fellow Australian player Greg Chalmers tweeted: “It is through a river of tears I say goodbye to my friend Jarrod Lyle. A wonderful father, friend and golfer. Quick with a joke, didn’t mind a beer, and just a pure joy to be around every day. Miss you mate. RIP.”
Journalist Martin Blake, of The Age newspaper in Melbourne, wrote a column today under the headline “The Jarrod Lyle I knew”.
Blake said: “Lyle had a way of bringing levity to the most dire situations, even at his most sick or when personal issues that don’t bear mentioning here could have overwhelmed him.
“He liked the idea of inspiring people suffering from cancer and other illnesses, and he talked to many of them when he was well in his role as an ambassador for Challenge, the children’s cancer network. This is his substantial legacy.”
Golfers pay tribute to Jarrod Lyle
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