The Commercial Vehicle Industry Association of Queensland (CVIAQ) recently lost another of its past presidents with the passing of Valentine (Val) Burns aged 89 years.
Val, whose company Oxley Motor Sales was an inaugural CVIAQ member, became a long standing and active CVIAQ board director commencing his tenure in 1972 and retiring from the board in 1985. During this period he was elected CVIAQ president on two separate occasions from 1977 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1981, and was bestowed CVIAQ life membership in 1984.
He was also part of the group of industry visionaries responsible for the development and subsequent organisation of the inaugural 1968 Queensland Truck Show held in the yards of Haulmark Trailers, and became a regular member of the show management committee organising the show in its fledgling years.
Val’s funeral was held at the Buderim Crematorium and Memorial Gardens on March 26 and was attended by many representatives of the industry, past and present, including CVIAQ chief executive Brett Wright.