MUCH-LOVED Creswick resident Mark Spenceley was farewelled at a moving service in Creswick on Wednesday morning.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Around 500 people flooded Doug Lindsay Reserve to pay their respects to a man who was described as a tireless and hard-working volunteer, talented sportsman and loving family man.
Mr Spenceley, 59, was tragically killed by a motorist while cycling just south of Clunes on March 24.
Much of the representation in the crowd was emergency service personnel, mainly from the Country Fire Authority, an organisation which Mr Spenceley had been a part of through many roles for 37 years.
His first introduction to the CFA was when the fires of 1977 threatened Creswick and all locals were called upon to protect the town. Mr Spenceley was dragged off the tennis court, his sister said, and that incident changed him forever.
Creswick Brigade Captain Steven Ellis said the CFA, which Mr Spenceley became involved with in 1982, was his extended family.
He was made a life member of Creswick Fire Brigade and the CFA - an honour which only eight people in the history of the organisation have obtained. He held various roles from Lieutenant through to Secretary and had been a wildfire instructor for the past 18 years.
He received numerous prestigious awards for his vast contributions, including a National Medal with first clasp and a Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria Gold Star.
His daughter, Erin, said her dad was more than a husband, dad and pa.
"He was our inspiration, our rock, our everything," she said.
The CFA was her dad's second home and she recalled how he was so dedicated to it that he was always glued to the scanner and prepped to respond to an incident. She recalled one occasion when her dad was taking her for a driving lesson and the scanner went off.
"I started to drive home and he said no - drive as fast as you can to the station. I had to wait there until he returned," she laughed.
Son Tynan said his dad was passionate about family while daughter Gemma said he was always willing to lend a hand to anybody who needed it.
"This has left a hole in our family that can't be filled," Gemma said.
Darren Mitchell represented the Creswick community and recounted how Mr Spenceley made Creswick the best it could be.
He made a huge contribution to Creswick Football Netball Club . Among many roles, he ran the Auskick program and even umpired for 150 games.
"[Creswick Football Netball Club] was much more to Spence than just a game of footy - it was his club, in his community. And at any opportunity he did anything he could to help the club be the best it could be," he said.
"This wasn't just a man who did his turn on the gate, we are talking about a man who was treasurer of a senior football club aged 19."
Mr Spenceley was also a member of the cricket and bowls clubs.
Despite his membership and support of sporting clubs, Mr Mitchell said Mr Spenceley had a commitment to the community that was wide-reaching.
Other notable contributions were working at John Curtin Aged Care for a decade, being on the board of the primary school and providing counselling support through Legacy.
