Richard Scolyer, a cancer researcher and former Australian of the Year, died in June after a battle with glioblastoma. His daughter Emily reports that her father made every moment special and was always present for family activities despite his busy career as a pathologist. According to Emily, Richard taught her important life lessons about being present with loved ones and turning challenges into positivity. He diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2023 after suffering a seizure while hiking in Poland, but he continued to live with determination and resilience until his passing.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-05,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Emily Scolyer feels overwhelming gratitude for the 22 years of unwavering love and support she had from her father, Richard Scolyer.
asserted
she → feel → father
The cancer researcher and former Australian of the Year died in June after a courageous battle with glioblastoma.
asserted
researcher → die → glioblastoma
Emily says her father made every moment magical, and she is aspiring to carry on his love of family, nature and connection.
asserted
she → say → family
He made ordinary moments special
Dad was just the most present father, despite his busy professional career as a pathologist.
asserted
Dad → make → pathologist
He was still there for our family activities and to support me and my siblings.
asserted
He → support → me
He taught me how to swim.
asserted
He → teach → me
He taught me how to ride a bike.
asserted
He → teach → bike
We would spend hours out at the wave pool at Ryde Aquatic.
asserted
We → spend → Aquatic
When I was 7, he started waking up at 5am to take me to swimming training three or four times a week.
asserted
he → start → training
He would come and watch all of my ballet concerts, swimming carnivals, athletics, cross country, everything that we were doing.
asserted
we → come → that
Looking back, I don't even know how he found the time.
asserted
he → look → time
Even in the teenage years when you're fighting with your parents a little bit, he still always showed up for me and always told me that he was proud of me regardless.
asserted
he → fight → me
If I stumbled, he was still the first one to be cheering me on.
asserted
he → stumble → me
Every moment was special, regardless of what we were doing, even if we were just sitting in silence.
asserted
we → do → silence
Being present with the people you love was a really important lesson he taught me growing up.
asserted
he → love → me
He made every moment we spent together magical and he was all the qualities that I aspire to be.
asserted
I → make → that
Dad got up every day with a smile on his face
Dad had his first seizure when he was overseas in Poland in 2023.
He and Mum were there for a conference.
asserted
He → get → conference
They went hiking with some of their friends and when they came back down the mountain he had a seizure.
asserted
he → go → seizure
They think that this was because the altitude caused his brain to swell.
asserted
brain → think → ?
So, in that way, it was a little bit lucky because if he hadn't done that hike, perhaps we wouldn't have known about the brain tumour as early on as we did.
asserted
we → do → tumour
Dad called me and my siblings from the hospital to tell us about the glioblastoma diagnosis, and I just remember he sounded very defeated, which I've never really heard him sound before.
asserted
him → call → which
He's such a positive person and was everyone's biggest cheerleader, but to hear him in that moment, it was really devastating.
asserted
it → hear → moment
We cried together and then moved into problem-solving and treatment mode.
asserted
We → cry → mode
It's just amazing to me that having such a devastating diagnosis, he was able to harness that and turn it into something positive and be a source of light for other people going through similar journeys.
asserted
he → have → journeys
He still got up every day, and he had a smile on his face, and he did the things that he loved the most, which was running and cycling and doing triathlons and being out in nature.
asserted
which → get → nature
It was just an amazing thing to watch his resilience every day, right up until he passed away on June 7th this year.
asserted
he → watch → 7th
Sign up to the ABC Lifestyle newsletter
He taught me everything about love
I've heard it said that grief is like a rock you carry with you in your pocket.
asserted
you → sign → pocket
It starts as a large, jagged boulder, constantly piercing your side, but with time, the sharp edges wear down, and it becomes smoother and easier to carry with you.
asserted
it → start → you
Right now, my grief feels like that jagged boulder, but I like the idea that it eventually becomes this sort of positive touchstone rather than something very painful.
asserted
it → feel → touchstone
I feel so lucky to have had him as my dad.
asserted
I → feel → dad
He showed me what it means to show unconditional love and support.
asserted
it → show → love
And he showed me what it means to be reliable and show up for the people you love as well.
asserted
you → show → people
Sharing stories of him will be one of the ways that we mark this Father's Day.
asserted
we → share → Day
We're planning on spending it together as a family, spending time outdoors in nature and with our dog Cha Cha as well, who dad loved.
asserted
dad → plan → who
Dad's favourite moments were always when we were together.
And I try to stay connected to him by doing the things that he loved.
asserted
he → try → that
I'm running, I'm swimming, I'm doing parkrun.
asserted
I → run → parkrun
Anytime there's a beautiful sunset, I think Dad probably sorted that one out.
asserted
Dad → be → one
I'll always treasure every single moment we spent together and I know he did too.
asserted
he → treasure → moment
Everything that he's done for me throughout my 22 years of life — every time we shared a smile or a hug — it's never enough, you always want more, but he definitely gave me enough to last a lifetime.
asserted
he → do → lifetime