Name: Eric Lesley Wells

Date of Birth: 22 November 1955

Birth Location: Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia.

Also Known As: Ricky or Ric

Date of Death: 13 February 1990

Age: 34 Years

Death Location: Kuri Camp, Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea.

Date of Burial: 26 February 1990

Denomination: Congregation and Presbyterian

Row/Grave: Row 5. Grave # 52

Grave Transcription:

IN LOVING MEMORY OF ERIC LESLEY WELLS

(RIC)

LOVED HUSBAND OF

LYN.

DEARLY LOVED DAD OF

KENNETH & TRAVIS

PASSED AWAY 13 TH FEB. 1990.

AGED 34 YEARS.

FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS.

Father: Charles Barber (Jim) Wells. Born 7 February 1929. Died 24 April 2003.

Mother: Laurel Wells nee Greenaway. Born 13 January 1929. Died 29 November 2020 at Bunbury, Western Australia.

Grandparents (father): Charles Knowles Barber. Born 1863 at Cheshire, England. Died 29 February 1932 at St John of God Hospital, Bunbury, Western Australia and Katey Lillian (Kitty) Volrath nee Wells. Born 10 July 1907 at Tin Pot Cottages, Botolphs, Anningston, Steyning, Sussex, England. Died 15 September 1995 at Freeman Nursing Home, Rossmoyne, Western Australia.

Grandparents (mother): Thomas George Greenaway. Born 28 May 1891 at Ballina New South Wales. Died 17 January 1957 and Jessie Ann Greenaway nee Urquhart. Born 1897 at Fremantle, Western Australia.

Siblings:

Vivienne Wells

Beverley Wells

James Kimberley Wells. Born 25 July 1954 at Bunbury, Western Australia. Died 4 October 1977 at Boundary Road, Boyanup, Western Australia.

Susan Wells

Spouse: Lynette Hutton

Children: Kenneth Wells and Travis Wells

Occupation: Farmer

Their Story 

Like his older brother, Rick attended Narrogin Agricultural School, then returned to work on his parent’s farm ‘Hope Farm’. He met his wife, Lynette Hutton, a local Capel girl, and they married in 1976. Lyn had a love of horses and after meeting her, Rick joined her in the sport of polocrosse.

Rick and Lyn built their home on the land at ‘Hope Farm’ and raised their children there.

Ricky’s father, Charles Barber (Jim) Wells purchased a portable timber mill to supplement the farm income, and this experience assisted Ric to secure employment on a timber mill in Papua New Guinea. It was there that Ric was involved in a tragic event which would take his life. He was supervising workers who were loading timber into a boat when two men failed to return to the deck. Ric went to investigate and, like the other workers, was overcome by toxic fumes (methane gas) and passed away. Ric was 34 years old. His body was returned to Capel for burial. His sons were aged 10 and 7 at the time and naturally they found it difficult to come to terms with the loss of their father, especially as he was overseas at the time of his death.

Lyn remained in their home on the farm and raised her sons there. She remained there until after the deaths of both Ric’s parents, Laurel and Jim, when the farm was sold and the proceeds distributed amongst the surviving descendants.

Story written by Ric’s sister in law Annette Carter for the Capel District Cemeteries Project website.

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© Capel District Cemeteries Project 08/09/2025