It’s six months to the day since Jenny Ciot last saw her older brother Mark Rowles. He vanished from a family barbeque lunch at their fathers home in Keiraville on February 8. Mrs Ciot’s son Will, 13, discovered his uncle missing when trying to find him to tell him the steaks were ready.

‘‘It makes me sad. I try not to think about it, [even the happy memories], it just makes it worse,’’ said Will.

The 58-year-old had been battling advanced stages of Parkinson’s disease, was depressed, and seemingly ‘‘fed up’’ with it all. Despite being part of a close-knit family and like a second dad to Jenny’s three sons, he had told his other sister Susan that one day he would go somewhere and never be found. He couldn’t have possibly known the great hole of despair it would leave.

‘‘I kind of think maybe he will come back,’’ said Mrs Ciot. ‘‘It’s hard not having closure ... not being able to give a farewell to a lovely, kind and beautiful person.’’

Their father Thomas is still distraught not knowing what happened to his eldest child, with so many questions left unanswered. They believe somebody must have seen him that day walking down the street or getting on a train, or perhaps he tried to hitch-hike.

‘‘Because of his disease he would shake a lot ... someone may have noticed that,’’ said Mrs Ciot.

The quiet soul lived in Gwynneville and was a regular at Wiseman Park Bowling Club. He liked having a crack at trivia at Beaton Park Tennis Club, and played War Games with mates at the university with figurines he’d made.

Since his disappearance the bank foreclosed on his home, that was originally built by his grandfather more than 70 years ago. Thomas Rowles said he and his wife had tried to keep up with the mortgage repayments, but it was too much.

Detective Sergeant Jason Jordans said Wollongong police had not given up hope on finding the man affectionately known as ‘‘Rowlesy’’, and investigations were continuing though they hold grave concerns. 

‘‘CCTV footage has been obtained with what we could, and just going through chatting to friends and family at the moment. Any links that come from that then we follow up as well, just to see if we can locate where the hell he is,’’ he said.

As far as Mrs Ciot is aware, there is counselling but no specific support groups for families like hers.

‘‘It’s hard. It’s hard for you [to write about], it’s hard for us, it’s hard for people to talk about.’’

For now she is finding some solace in helping the Wollongong Homeless Hub making soups.

‘‘I know there are some people there that are living rough, and might have not told their family where they are. So that’s kind of me trying to help in a little way.’’

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