Warwick Tollemarch: Secret agony of Brisbane man who fell off Quantum of the Seas

The Tollemache family is devastated by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother, Warwick.

Warwick was a playful, cheeky, good-humored and extremely kind-hearted person, who always had a bright smile. He had an incredible gift for spreading kindness, love and compassion wherever he went, touching the lives of countless people with his generosity and deep empathy.

His father, John, describes him as the kindest, gentlest, most loving person who took his joy from other people’s happiness; that he spent his life making other people happy. Warwick was a beacon of love; he was literally love personified.

John recalls the many times his sons, Dylan and Warwick, had a rule that whoever shouted “shotgun” first could sit in the front seat of the car. Despite often being the first to mention it, Warwick instead sat Dylan, finding more joy in his brother’s happiness than sitting in the front himself.

“You’re one of the good guys in this world, Woz,” his father, John Tollemache, often told him.

Warwick is his mother, Mandy’s, pride and joy. A message she will always cherish was Warwick’s heartfelt expression of gratitude: “I have grown into a man who knows that his mother has always loved and always will love him unconditionally… and the world is not a scary place anymore … coz you got me… We got this’.

Warwick was a natural leader who inspired everyone around him to get the best out of himself, which was one of the reasons he became captain of his school’s first fifteen rugby union team.

One of his friends recently summed this up well, saying, “You were a leader to all of us, my friend. You were braver, you knew so much when we were all just kids finding out who we were…

“You guided us as teenagers and I will miss you for the rest of my life. Thank you for being such a beautiful person; your light was broken, and we needed more like you in this world…” Warwick was a reliable friend who you could always count on to cheer you up and see you through your toughest times.

Warwick’s impact on those around him cannot be overemphasized, and nowhere was this impact more apparent than in his unbreakable bond with his brother, his ‘brozzie dog’, Dylan. They were more than just brothers; they were best friends who shared the deepest bond two brothers could ever share.

They were always there for each other, through all of life’s ups and downs, and their unwavering love and support for each other knew no bounds. Whether it was going to the gym together, fishing or playing World of Warcraft late into the night, Warwick and Dylan enjoyed spending time together and never took their bond for granted. Warwick’s love and strength will live on forever in Dylan’s heart and their bond will never be broken.

He had a knack for making people laugh and was always quick with a joke or a kind word. Warwick also loved to write and draw, writing in his diary every day, writing stories and letters. He had a gift with words, and when Warwick spoke everyone listened and was often moved to tears by his beautiful and profound manner of speaking and world view.

Warwick Tollemache (pictured) was a playful, cheeky, good-humored and extremely kind-hearted person, who always had a bright smile, his family says

Warwick was also brilliant, earning two university degrees – first in Business and then in Exercise Science. During his second degree, he received several prestigious awards for academic excellence.

He had ambitions to become a physiotherapist or doctor and was studying hard for the GAMSAT when his life took a devastating turn and developed severe, chronic and debilitating migraines that plagued him daily.

Warwick sought help from both public and private health care systems, but was repeatedly turned down and denied treatment or dignity. This lack of care sometimes led to self-medication with alcohol and eventually to mental illness.

On numerous occasions, Warwick had to wait for more than 12 hours in the waiting room of Princess Alexandra Hospital, never to be seen by a doctor. On the rare occasions when he was seen by a doctor, despite Warwick and his family begging for help, he was turned away.

Warwick, who found joy and purpose in helping others, was treated with a total lack of humanity, respect, care and compassion. This culture of neglect and disregard for patient dignity within Metro South Health is inhumane, and it is shameful that Warwick was the victim of such a systemic failure.

Despite the challenges he faced, Warwick remained incredibly positive, strong and courageous throughout his recovery, always making himself available to anyone in need.

His family did everything they could to support him, spending countless days and months providing inpatient care at home that should have been provided by the public and private hospitals that failed him. The family seeks answers from Metro South Health.

One of the fondest memories that Warwick and his sister Sarah share together is one of the days when they did random acts of kindness; one of Warwick’s favorite pastimes.

They bought flowers for strangers, paid for groceries for others, and spent the day giving compliments and generous tips to strangers. It was a testament to Warwick’s character that he was happiest when spreading love and positivity.

Warwick’s ultimate goal was to make the world a better place and spread love and kindness, and this is his greatest legacy. The Tollemache family is working to ensure that his legacy continues, and his friends and community are already supporting this effort.