Bill Diacos was married to my wife Ange’s cousin Val. For many years we lived in the same street and used to visit each other regularly. Val sadly died of cancer and a couple of weeks ago Bill sadly died of cancer too. Yesterday we attended Bill’s funeral at St George’s Greek Orthodox Church West End to pay homage to a virtuous man who lived with integrity, dignity, and grace in stark contrast with a world that seems to be characterised by too much toxic masculinity.

Bill was a proud Greek-Australian who lived his life as a humble Charismatic-Greek Orthodox Christian. Unlike the stereotype Aussies have of Greek-Australians, Bill didn’t concrete his backyard and paint it blue and white, rather he regrew a beautiful tropical rainforest in his garden to restore the flora that used to adorn our area before European settlement. Bill was a barber in the heart of West End. Bill had a single chair in his barbershop.

Bill refused to expand his business, wanting it to stay a small, modest, human enterprise, preferring to engage his customers as friends rather than exploit their custom for ever increasing profits. Bill was a Greek Orthodox Christian who had a profound Charismatic experience that completely changed his life, but unlike many of his contemporaries he refused to leave the Greek Orthodox church to join a Charismatic church. Bill stayed in the Greek Orthodox church and ran renewal groups in his home to strengthen the faith of his Greek Orthodox friends. To begin with Bill was threatened with excommunication by the presbyter, but over time won the priest’s support with his patient, persistent respectful approach.

When he was not styling hair, moustaches and beards, Bill painted beautiful iconic pictures. One day Rock’n’roll George asked Bill if he would paint a picture of him standing beside his beloved FJ Holden. Bill painted a full-size portrait. Rock’n’roll George loved it. So did the community. It celebrated Rock’n’roll George, who lived with an intellectual disability, as the local legend he was. The painting was proudly displayed in Queensland Art Gallery adjacent to our neighbourhood.

A Greek man, who owned the fruit and veggie shop next door to Bill’s barber shop, saw the portrait and asked Bill if he would paint a picture of Rock’n’roll George for him too. After all, Rock’n’roll George came into his fruit and veggie shop looking for bargains every day. Bill said he’d paint him a portrait on one condition – the owner of the fruit and veggie shop would give Rock’n’roll George free fruit and veggies for the rest of his life. It was agreed. Bill painted the portrait, gave it to the shopkeeper and Rock’n’roll George got free fruit and veggies for the rest of his life. Such was Bill’s gift.

I want to pay homage to Bill Diacos as a genuine man of virtue.

Dave Andrews