Helen Coombes remembers her uncle as a fun and loving ‘people’s person’.
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She is proud to see his legacy live on through the Bert Wilson Trust, with more than $85,000 donated to Ballarat charities since his death in 2014.
Ms Coombes and two other trustees presented funds to four Ballarat charities on Tuesday.
More than $7000 was donated to St John of God Hospital, $10,000 to Cops n Kids Ballarat, $10,000 to the Ballarat Foundation and $10,000 to Centacare from the trust.
Ms Coombes said Mr Wilson was well known around Ballarat, as a prominent member of the electrical association and a life member of the Ballarat Bowling Club and the Ballarat Aero Club.
“We have heard quite a lot of stories about the things Bert used to do, one was he was wheeled in a supermarket trolley to get back on the train because he was unable to walk at the time,” she said with a laugh.
“He just had a joy of life. He used to spend all day going from place to place drinking coffee and chatting to people.”
Mr Wilson was 91 when he died in 2014. He had lived in Ballarat his entire life and was unmarried.
St John of God Hospital allied health manager Sarah Duggan said the funding would be used to purchase equipment for the rehabilitation centre gym, a facility Mr Wilson used for at least two years.
John Moloney from Cops n Kids said the funding would be used to take 45 Ballarat children with life threatening illnesses on a camp to Queenscliff in February.
Ballarat Foundation funding is specific for food insecurity and money donated to Centacare will be used to upgrade the furniture at Peplow House, a crisis accommodation centre for single men who are homeless.
Trustee and friend Michael Kearney said Mr Wilson “would have been thrilled to bits with his name living on and helping these worthwhile charities”.