On 12 September 1918 the Geraldton Guardian reported, “News was received a few days ago that Private E K Powell had been killed in action. Private Powell was formerly on the clerical staff of Messrs Dalgety and Co and was a prominent soccer footballer. He married Miss Sylvia Clarke, daughter of Mrs Clarke, formerly of the Geraldton Coffee Palace, but now of Yalgoo.”
Edwin Powell arrived in Western Australia from London in May 1912 and soon moved to Geraldton. In 1913 he was playing for the Civil Service Club which in 1914 changed their name to Queen’s Park Rangers with Edwin Powell appointed as Captain. In 1915 QPR were crowned Premiers in the local Geraldton competition, usurping the title from Thistle. By the end of 1916 Edwin had married Sylvia Clarke, become a father to a son, George, and enlisted for the war.
Unfortunately he was not to return and his young family’s tragic story was footnoted with the probable suicide by drowning of his widow Sylvia on 14 August 1922. Her lifeless body was found by a passerby walking along the beach. According to the Geraldton Guardian, “Mrs. Powell had been living in Perth for some time, but returned to Geraldton about a week ago, and was to have commenced duty as a barmaid at one of the hotels.”
Unlike his parents who died in their mid 20s, George Powell lived a full life and passed away in 2002 at the age of 86.