Speaking to The Courier on Tuesday afternoon, one of Mr O'Loughlin's three children, Stephen O'Loughlin shared just what kind of person his father was.

"He was a hard-working man," Stephen said.

"He would give anyone the shirt off his back... the most generous man any of us ever knew."

Stephen said his father always stressed the importance of getting involved within the community, something Brendan did in Buninyong through his involvement with the Buninyong Cricket Club and the Buninyong Football Netball Club.

"He taught us to live by the way of hard work, caring for others and being involved in the community. He didn't want us to just be passengers, he wanted us to be involved."

Former teammate at the Buninyong Cricket Club Greg Kitchen credited Brendan with helping develop the club into a powerhouse in the 1980s during his time as president.

"I knew Brendan for around 40 years... he was already a big part of the club when I arrived in the 70s," Mr Kitchen said.

"He was an amazing president for the club in the 80s... he played a major role in Buninyong growing and becoming a real force within the competition."

Mr Kitchen said Brendan was a fierce competitor on the field, a sentiment echoed by former Buninyong Football Club teammate Stan Hunter who played alongside Brendan in the side's 1968 and 1970 premierships.

"He was a tough, hard-nosed footballer... everything you wanted out of a centre half back," Mr Hunter said.

"He was a great team man, there was never any doubt he always had his teammate's back, no matter what the situation was."

The biggest way Brendan will be missed is through his eight grandchildren, who his son Stephen said "always made his eyes light up."

"When his grandkids came along, he really lit up," Stephen said.

"People always asked what his hobby was because he wasn't out playing bowls or stuff like that... he would always say his greatest hobby was his grandkids."

A public service for Mr O'Loughlin will be held at St Peter & Paul's Church in Buninyong from 2.30pm on Wednesday.

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