Four years ago this week, Mandurah’s Lance Corporal Mervyn McDonald lost his life fighting for his country.
On Tuesday the café founded by his parents as a living memorial to the fallen digger, was celebrating his memory, with his family gathering to pay tribute to the son and brother they still mourned.
Mr McDonald, a special operations commando, was killed in Afghanistan in 2012.
His mum, Myrna Walker, said she was still shaken by his death.
“This is one of those really hard days,” she said.
“But I try to keep busy, which keeps me going.
“You try to forget, but you just can’t.”
She said Mervyn would be so proud of the café, especially since his brother Gary and his young family were coming for morning tea.
Mervyn’s brother Gary McDonald said both he and his brother loved to stop and smell the coffee.
“I had a coffee with him just near here about a year before it happened,” Mr McDonald said.
“It’s always hard, especially as we’re living away from Mum at the moment.
“But to come here – to a living memorial for him – it’s just special.”
New owner of Mervyn’s Café Maz Emamy, a veteran of both the Iranian and Australian armies, said he was proud to keep the memory of Mervyn McDonald alive.
“I knew I had to keep the legacy going, especially since Myrna and Bernie [Mervyn’s step-father] have become great friends,” he said.
“Mandurah people should be proud they had such a hero in the community.”
Mr Emamy said 10 per cent of Mervyn’s Café’s takings on Tuesday would be donated to Legacy to help Australian Defence Force families, and he was offering free cake and scones with every coffee purchased.
Nathan Hondros
Senior Journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, and Fairfax Media.
Senior Journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, and Fairfax Media.
