From fighter pilot to newsman: Remembering Charles Slade's remarkable life

Charles Slade would joke that, when the time came, he’d struggle to fill a phone box at his funeral.

Sadly, it was put to the test sooner than anyone had expected.

At 70 years of age, the pilot-come-newsman succumbed to a sudden heart attack and, to the surprise of no-one, the number of people who paid their respects at his funeral was far more than any phone box could hold.

Slade’s story is a remarkable one.

A column of this size simply doesn’t do it justice. It’s more the stuff of books. Adventure books.

The congregation at his funeral heard that Charles was born in the South American country of Guyana.

As a small boy, he, along with his two sisters and brother, moved to America where it seemed there was nothing young Charles couldn’t do.

As a scholar, he was blessed with an IQ in the 120’s, and as a sportsman he could exceed at just about anything.

Youngest son Nick revealing his father represented the University of Denver at basketball.

Such is Slade senior’s list of achievements, it was almost a passing mention. Those achievements included a fighter pilot with the RAF no less.

Eldest son Greg recalled his mother collecting him from school one afternoon and asking whether he’d like to see where his dad worked.

Greg soon found himself standing at the end of a runway watching fighter jets take off, one darting straight up at a frightening speed.

His dad was flying that plane.

In fact, as Nick would later explain, there were only around 20 pilots qualified to take the controls of the jet known as the 'lightening'… only six would survive to tell the tales of how that jet could break the sound barrier at speeds of more than 1000km/hr.

Charles would also take the controls of commercial airliners, flying for British Airways.

Always looking for new challenges, Charles and his young family made the move to Australia where his career would take yet another turn.

From the air… to the airwaves.

For reasons not entirely known, a confident Charles Slade walked into the offices of radio station FOX-FM, all but demanding a job.

This was despite the fact he had absolutely no experience in broadcasting other than welcoming passengers on-board his aircrafts.

Four years later, Charles was co-hosting Channel 10’s coverage of the Los Angeles Olympics.

His career would take him to the ABC where he hosted a popular sports program and, in 2000, to the Nine Newsroom where he became one of TV’s most respected and senior journalists.

So respected, he was of the few journalists that Sir Donald Bradman warmed to.

"The Don" would often write to Charles.

Nick recalled the story of when his dad was hosting a golf coverage for the ABC, and a producer was dispatched to bring Greg Norman to the studio for an interview post round.

Unfortunately for the producer, Norman had just finished a horror round and left him in no doubt that he wasn’t in any mood to be interviewed.

A few paces later, the "Shark" turned back and asked whether Charles Slade would be the interviewer.

Norman was soon in the studio.

Golf, in fact, was one of Charles' great loves… and so it was that his golf mates were also at his funeral, retelling stories of his talents with the clubs and the sheer joy of sharing his company in the clubhouse, where coffee and toasted sandwiches were the traditional post-round fare.

But there was an even greater love; the greatest love of all for Charles Slade was his family.

Charles was 20 when he met his wife, Lyn. She was just 18 and still at school.

The Slades would go on two have two sons who Charles was incredibly proud of.

Nick recalled only seeing his dad cry twice in his life. One of those times was when Nick and his wife, Mel, revealed they were having a baby.

They would later go on to have another.

The family photos shown at his funeral left no-one in any doubt that being a grandfather was, quite possibly, his most joyous role of all.

That said, he baulked at being called Pa, or Grandpa, or any of the traditional monikers.

No, Charles wanted to be known as "Wundy"… short for Mr Wonderful.

How appropriate.

Lola and Richie would also refer to "Wundy" as their best friend.

Two Sunday nights ago, the youngsters FaceTimed their best friend. He and Lyn were in Far North Queensland at their recently purchased beach house.

The next day, "Wundy" was dead.

One can only imagine just how hard it’s been for Nick and his wife to explain to the youngsters they’ll never see their grandfather again.

Indeed many at his funeral were trying to comprehend the same thing.

Charles Slade lived a life few could only dream of… and a great many more have written about.

But there was nothing fictional about his.

It’s just so sad the ending was sudden… and so soon.

Vale, Wundy.