Community & Business
28 February, 2025
Oakey stops for Preston
Cornetts IGA Supermarket turned yellow, and held a minute’s silence, and more than 400 people turned out at the Oakey Cultural Centre to attend the funeral of well-known local employee Preston Dimmick.
Preston was a friendly face to many Oakey people and his rich, deep voice will be deeply missed.
A well-recalled anecdote was how once a queue of elderly IGA customers chose to line up at Preston’s checkout, when there were three others available.
Cornetts decorated their checkouts in yellow, their much-loved employee’s favourite colour.
Preston’s father Paul Dimmick thanked the community of Oakey and beyond for reaching out to his family during their time of mourning.
The magnitude of Preston’s loss was exemplified by the large turnout at the funeral.
“We were looking around at so many people thinking ‘Who are you?’ Paul reflected.
“It was hard. I don’t wish that upon anybody.”
The young worker’s demeanour was reflected in his catchphrase at work:
“All good!”
Preston’s cheerful attitude brightened the lives of those around him at home, at poker and at work.
“In the majority of our photos, he was thumbs up, always smiling,” Paul said.
“The way he was at work at the beginning of the shift, he was like that at the very end of the shift.”
Paul asks the Oakey community to help the Dimmick family by not feeling awkward in remembering Preston in their conversations.
“Mention him,” he said.
“Even with his mother, brothers and sisters.
“Don’t avoid the subject.”
Preston will be much missed by dad Paul, mum Kirsty and siblings Huntah, Cooper, Ethan and Makennah, and Uncle Ian who all attended.
“He loved his Uncle Steve, and Nan Irene (who have now passed), His photo will go up right beside them.“
Preston’s close mates were Joel (who travelled from Canberra for the funeral) Jayden, Dylan and Brendan.
At the funeral, they set up 90 to 100 ducks to remember how he once wore a shirt with fluffy ducks on it at poker to lull his opposition into a false sense of security.
Preston’s distinctive, deep voice, had him lined up training as voiceover person for ads.
His first session was due to start on Monday.
Outside work, Preston’s great loves were poker, fishing, and camping.
“Poker was by far the favourite,” Paul said.
“When he was working, with me, he would have to be home early on Monday to be ready for poker night at the Bernborough Tavern.”
Preston enjoyed trips to the casino and most of his work money went towards the “Casino Fund”.
A major highlight was the trip to the Star Casino on the Gold Coast where he walked into the venue at midnight on his 18th birthday.
“If he went to the casino, and his mates won $100, he was almost as happy for them to win $100 as if he’d won,” Paul said.
“There was nothing bad about him.
“When he came to work with me, he would just be sitting there talking to customers.”
Vale Preston Dimmick
2006-2025.
