Hunter Valley bus crash: First funeral for Angus Andrew Craig, friend of Mitchell Gaffney

The first of 10 victims of a Hunter Valley wedding accident to be buried was said goodbye Monday in a ceremony where he was remembered as “a beautiful human being with an infectious smile and a sense of adventure.”

Family and friends at the funeral of Angus Andrew Craig, 28, in Worrigee on the NSW South Coast included his girlfriend Bella Liddy who was on the bus with him at the time of the crash.

Standing by Angus’ kiteboard and bike helmet on his box, best friend Sean told Mrs Liddy ‘he was so excited to move in with you. We will never understand what you went through that horrible night.”

Ms Liddy told mourners how she was ‘incredibly heartbroken’ at the loss of Angus who was ‘warm and thoughtful, ready for any adventure however wayward and loved to dance’.

“It breaks my heart that our time together was so short that he hadn’t even memorized his new zip code,” she said.

It didn’t take me long to fall in love with the smart, thoughtful, and generous person he was.

“I know I am a better person because I have loved and been loved by you.

Family and friends gather for the first funeral of a Hunter Valley bus crash victim, Angus Andrew Craig, 28, who said goodbye Monday morning (above) in Worrigee on the NSW South Coast

Angus Craig’s sister Georgia and his parents Duncan and Tobi tearfully remember their beloved ‘Angy’ at his funeral on the NSW South Coast on Monday

“It’s so hard to put into words the immeasurable impact Angus had on my life and even harder to accept that we’ve lost such a beautiful, kind and exuberant soul.”

Angus was one of four men and six women killed in the Hunter Valley bus accident, the remaining passengers sustained injuries of varying degrees.

They had all been guests at Mitchell Gaffney and Maddy Edsell’s wedding at Wandin Wine Estate south of Singleton, NSW on June 11.

A few hours later, the Linq Buslines bus with 35 of them collided catastrophically with a crash barrier near Greta at around 11:30 p.m.

Mr. Craig was a good friend of Mitchell Gaffney, he was roommate in Singleton with Mr. Gaffney, also an engineer, when he first came out of college.

Angus’ parents Duncan and Tobi, sister Georgia, brother-in-law Greg and partner Bella were among those at The Chapel in Worrigee on Monday.

Angus Craig (above) with his girlfriend Bella Liddy who was traveling with him on the bus when it crashed near Greta on June 11, tragically killing ten people, including Angus

Angus Craig said goodbye on Monday at a funeral on the NSW South Coast, where he was remembered as ‘sincere, honest, with an infectious smile and sense of adventure’

At the time of his death, Angus was working in the coal mines of Central Queensland and had moved out of his sister’s home to live with Mrs Liddy five weeks before the crash.

Georgia stood between her parents and laughed and cried as she remembered her brother who would now never meet her first child. which must be paid in two months.

“How cruel is this loss, of a beautiful, well-mannered, gorgeous boy who grew up to be a sweet, responsible, thoughtful, handsome man,” she said.

He was a fly-in fly-out (FIFO) worker to Blackwater four days a week, returning on Thursday, which Bella Liddy said “became my favorite day of the week.”

Angus Craig is the first of ten people killed in the Hunter Valley bus crash (above) to be buried

On Wednesday, assistant physician Rebecca Mullen will say goodbye to her family and fiancée Sam Howard during a service in Singleton.

Dr. Mullen was one of five women and two men playing for the Singleton Roosters AFL teams killed in the crash.

A funeral for talented AFL player Kane Symons will be held in Tasmania this Sunday.

The 21-year-old apprentice electrician was Kyah McBride’s friend, whom he met through the Singleton Roosters, and who also died in the crash, along with her mother, Rooster coach, Nadene McBride.

The driver of the bus, Brett Button, 58, has been charged bail on 10 counts of dangerous driving resulting in death, dangerous driving and negligent driving (resulting in death) and will next appear in court in August.