Heartbreak and unity: Woombye club mourns secretary's sudden passing

by Janine Hill

“She was just a beautiful person, my best friend”: Andy Kinden with Amber Stokes.

MEMBERS of the Woombye Snakes Football Club fraternity are mourning a much-loved friend, team-mate and club secretary.

Amber Stokes, a 46-year-old mother of two, died unexpectedly at home on Tuesday, 4 July.

Apparently fit and healthy, Amber had been for a run and had come home and lay down when she passed away.

Her children, Sienna, 17, and Cooper, 20, were home and raised help but despite the best efforts of attending paramedics, she was unable to be revived.

In the wake of her loss, the club cancelled its senior and junior matches for the weekend and the premier women’s match on Friday 7 July.

A gathering was instead held at Snakes headquarters on Friday evening to remember Amber and support those feeling her loss most acutely, including club president Andrew Kinden, Amber’s partner of nine months.

Andrew said he was trying to remember the good times rather than dwell on the unfairness of a life cut short.

“There’s no sense to be made of it. There’s no meaning in it,” he said.

“That’s life, there is the loss of people.

“She was just as beautiful person, my best friend.

Amber’s death has shocked club but members have rallied together.

“We never had an argument, not one. That’s just Amber, very easy-going in her own way.

“She doesn’t have a bad bone in her body.

“She’s just beautiful all over. Friends with everyone.”

Amber and her children had joined the Snakes several years ago. She and Sienna played together in the division one women’s team.

Always on the lookout for committee members, Andrew recruited Amber as secretary and they formed a relationship.

“We all used to knock around together and nine months ago, we just on really well and got together. It was a great nine months,” he said.

He said Amber’s death had shocked club but members had been wonderful in the way rallied together.

“The support, it’s been unbelievable. It’s just so good. It’s all the club members and past ones,” he said.

A GoFundMe fundraiser, Ambers Family Fund, to assist Amber’s family with expenses has raised close to $13,000 within two days. https://gofund.me/bcd8a9b1

An autopsy to determine the cause of Amber’s death was held on Friday 7 July but the results have not yet been made available.