Constable Glen Humphris And Partner Todd Wanted To Buy A House & Make Melbourne Their Home, Remembers Friend
Image: Photos courtesy Noel Delm
Constable Glen Humphris’s death along with three fellow Victoria police officers in a multi-vehicle collision on Wednesday shocked Melbourne. Humphris is survived by his partner Todd.
The death has hit the city’s LGBTQ community, especially the 2,500 strong Gay Camping VIC group of which Humphris and his partner Todd were a part of, the hardest. The couple had joined the online Facebook group soon after moving to Melbourne last year and had been part of camping trips organised by them.
“They were a loving, happy couple living in Port Melbourne and planning to make Melbourne their home,” Noel Delmo, a Melbourne resident and administrator of the group on Facebook, told Star Observer.
“I believe they wanted to buy a house in Melbourne so they had more space to store the caravan and other equipment they owned. They had a small dog that joined them on some of our camps too. That was another reason they wanted a house together so the dog had a yard to play in as they were living in a unit with no yard. They were very loyal to each other and proud gay members of the community and always seemed very happy,” says Delmo.
Members of the small close-knit group posted their respects and were finding out ways that they could support Todd in this difficult time, according to Delmo. Humphris had met Todd, his partner of four years while working for Return to Work in Newcastle. Humphris, was born and raised in Gosford, NSW, and had been an apprentice carpenter, personal trainer, sports scientist, and exercise physiologist. When the couple moved to Melbourne, Glen decided to join the Victoria Police.
“I first met Glen and Todd when they had just moved to Melbourne and joined our Gay Camping Victoria group in 2019. The group was doing a kayaking event on the Werribee River. They were keen outdoor people and wanted to join a gay group to make friends and enjoy the outdoor camping & lifestyle. They had a large caravan, as well as a rooftop tent that they would use frequently when attending our camping trips. They were creating the ideal life together after moving from NSW,” says Delmo.
Humphris had graduated in March 2020 and was placed with the Road Policing (Drug and Alcohol Section). According to the Victoria police, his squadmates remembered him as genuinely wanted to help people. The camping group members who had met Glenn had also been taken in by Glenn’s cheerful disposition.
“Glen was a beautiful natured man with a happy personality, willing to interact, and help in any way possible. I remember when we went to a café before the kayak event on the Werribee River, Glen ordered a triple-layered chocolate cake with his coffee, he had the biggest smile and commented afterward” that was the best chocolate cake he had tasted” in a long time,” Delmo recollects.
The couple had joined group members for the camping trip to Nagambie in February. More recently, they also accompanied the group during the Chill Out weekend, camping trip to the Mt Franklin camp near Daylesford, attending different events. The couple were keen to attend more camps, but the group had halted the camps due to the COVID19 restrictions.
“Both Glen and Todd were easy going down to earth guys with bubbly personalities. Always willing to chat & support others during the camps they attended,” says Delmo. “I haven’t spoken to Todd yet because I think he needs private time to grieve and have communicated with his family in NSW. All his family, as well as Glen’s, live in NSW, so it must be very hard for him currently. We as a gay group are currently looking at ways to provide support for him,” adds Delmo.
Delmo requested that those who want to support the families of the officers, to consider donations to the Victoria Police Legacy. The organisation supports families who have lost loved ones in the Victoria Police force.
Related: Constable Glen Humphris and the tributes by Victoria Police.
