Dream trip turns to tragedy

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 09 Maret 2014 | 20.01

The fate of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is still unknown and the search continues. The WSJ's Jake Maxwell Watts tells us the focus remains in the South China Sea between Malaysia and Vietnam.

THEY were four friends from Brisbane giving one of their own the trip of a lifetime before her eyesight deteriorated.

Bob Lawton told his boss he was taking five weeks' long-service leave to give his wife Cathy a trip to Malaysia and China to celebrate her birthday "before she lost her eyesight".

They were joined by Rodney and Mary Burrows.

Close friends have told how Cathy and Bob – an artistic grandmother and a grandfather who would "give you the shirt off his back" – had one last laugh with them before setting off last Monday.

Bob Lawton (right) told his boss he was taking five weeks' long-service leave to give his wife Cathy (left) a trip to Malaysia and China to celebrate her birthday "before she lost her eyesight". Picture: Supplied

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Stunned colleagues from the company where Bob worked for more than 30 years yesterday paid tribute to the "genuine and trusted" employee who was devoted to his family.

"He was a really family-orientated man," said Rodney Sharp, managing director of Sharp Plywood. "I knew him from when he was a young lad."

Mary and Rodney Burrows are missing on Malaysian Airlines flight MH370. Picture: Supplied

Mr Sharp said Bob had only just started his leave.

"He had only been away a week. He was taking five weeks and wanted to go on a holiday to take her (Cathy) away while she could still see. It's a tragedy," he said.

Peter Pallister, another workmate, said he was "still expecting Bob to come into work again".

Malaysia has launched a terror probe into the disappearance of a passenger jet carrying 239 people.

"He was the offsider. He used to get all the stuff out for me and would get it all organised," he said.

Friends of 28 years, Karen and Les Stonehouse, wished the Lawtons a safe trip before they left Brisbane.

The careful travellers said their only concern was eating chicken in China.

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"It was a bit of a joke," Ms Stonehouse said. "They were concerned about eating chicken.

"I spoke to them on Monday night before they left for the airport and they were both having some chicken because they weren't going to eat any chicken in China."

Just two weeks ago, Bob and Cathy had visited the Stonehouses to talk about their plans for their trip.

They would travel to Malaysia and then Beijing. Cathy would celebrate her birthday during the trip.

"After China they were going to Hong Kong and then going on a cruise down the coast of Vietnam," she said. "My husband and I have been to Vietnam a couple of times so they came over to look at our photos."

Bob and Les, both 57, had the same birthday and shared a passion for watching the Broncos and State of Origin.

The lifelong friends would joke about who was born first in the Royal Brisbane Hospital.

"They always used to get together for their birthdays for a beer or two," Ms Stonehouse said. "Cathy and I would have a weekly phone chat, usually on a Thursday morning, and it would usually go for about an hour."


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