Passionate, determined, loyal, always a joker, and the life of the party were some of the things that Travis Offord will be remembered for.
The 29-year-old man, who was born at the Gosnells hospital and lived in Roleystone all his life, was a devoted player for the Curtin Saints and the wider Gridiron West community.
Without any warning, Mr Offord died suddenly on May 9 from a ruptured aorta leaving his family, friends and the Curtin Saints’ family in complete shock.
His sister Tara Offord said the loss of her brother was unexpected.
“Travis was determined and he always did everything with 110 per cent effort and never gave up,” she said.
“He was fiercely loyal and loved with his whole heart.
“He always showed up when you needed him. He was the life of the party.”
“Travis’s greatest passion was gridiron but he also enjoyed spending time with his loved ones at the Preston beach house, he was also a major cinema buff.”
Mr Offord joined the Curtin Saints in 2014 and he played ‘Safety’ position, and occasionally made an appearance in offence as a receiver.
He was also the defensive captain and was responsible for calling plays on the field, as well as coaching the women’s team through their inaugural season.
Curtin Saints member Dagmara Rabinski said Mr Offord was a great leader and a fierce competitor.
“Travis won the club’s defensive Most Valuable Player award twice,” she said.
“He always went in hard to every tackle and was always heckling the offence, which brought delight to everyone around him.
“He even tore his anterior cruciate ligament in a game and wanted to head right back out on to the field.
“He has made an impact on a lot of people and Travis had a way of really making you believe in yourself.
“Travis was an amazing leader and always led by example, our club will never be the same.” Many tributes have surfaced for Mr Offord on social media including from rival clubs.
Player have said they remember him as someone who always made them laugh, smile and encouraged them to keep pushing.
“They admired his leadership, his determination, his endless stream of trash talks and his never dampened sense of humour,” said Ms Rabinski.
The club has set up a GoFund me page to help assist in funeral costs and make a donation to the Offord family.
So far people have donated almost $6700 towards a $7000 target.
“We are so humbled and truly amazed by the generosity of everyone who donated,” said Ms Offord.
“It’s gives us some comfort to know how important he was to so many people and how many lives he changed.”
The funeral took place on May 23 and only 20 people were able to attend due to current restrictions on social distancing.
The family was able to organise a guard of honour at Curtin University.
The service was also live-streamed and more than 100 devices tuned in from various places.
If you want to donate visit gofundme.com/f/curtinsaints-pay-tribute-to-trav-5.
