Mr Messer died on December 20 aged 94; he had been unwell for some time. As the son of William Messer senior, co-founder of Ballarat's Messer and Opie menswear store, Bill went into the trade after spending six years in the Commonwealth Bank following his schooling.

Interviewed by this journalist on his 90^th birthday, Mr Messer had facts and figures stored in memory with perfect clarity, saying he went into the business as fashions were starting to change and 'off the rack' suits were becoming widely available.

"There were a lot of tailors in Ballarat," Mr Messer said of his first years at Messer and Opie.

"Mather and Bellingham, Alf White, Adelaide Tailoring Company, Mark and Philp, Gribbles the tailors, Bills - there were so many tailors.

"One day I remember a Mr Cohen, a Jewish gentleman from Melbourne, came up and he was going to make ready-made suits. I think everyone was a bit sceptical of how they would work. But he perfected the game and of course eventually put the poor old tailors out of business."

Always modest about his achievements in making the business thrive, Bill Messer took delight in generously supporting philanthropic and health institutions around Ballarat, as well as taking an active part in social and sporting activities.

A life member of the Central Wendouree Bowling Club, Mr Messer was also co-founder of the Ballarat Canary Society, and took great delight in breeding canaries for show. He was member of the Ballarat Masonic Lodge for over 70 years, and a board member Country Division of the Retail Traders of Victoria.

Bill Messer was especially proud of his stewardship of the Queen Elizabeth Centre and the Bill Messer Hostel, and sat on the Victorian Hospital Board.

Eldest daughter Jill Burt says her father worked indefatigably on ensuring the ongoing existence of the QEC.

"He was definitely proud of his work at the Queen Elizabeth when he was there over the many years," she says.

"(He served) Three times as president. We found a Courier article of a few years ago, and it was all about dad when he was leading the fundraising committee. He'd raised so much money above what normally would have been made.

"So he was really, really proud of all of that, I think, and at the end of the day pleased he was going to come back to his family. He must have worked day-in, day-out on that."

"He always liked his family around him; he was very family-oriented. And he had a good sense of humour."

Ms Burt and her brother Philip said their father's generosity in the community was matched by kindness in the home and a deep love for his partner of almost 70 years, his wife Lauris.

"He really adored Mum," Ms Burt says.

"When he was really sick last week, they asked him what he would miss, and he just said, 'It's really sad to go.'

"He didn't want to go, he was really sad to leave Mum. They just seemed to enjoy similar things.

"He was so so sick in the last few months, but never once complained. I don't think he was very materialistic; he had very few things. He had a very small wardrobe even after being at Messer and Opie all those years. He wasn't really interested in going and buying clothes; he bought what he needed.

"We looked at his little wallet yesterday, I thought it was about 40-years-old. He wouldn't think he needed another one, but he was very generous to other people. Always giving to things and fundraising for others.

"He loved his friends. He loved going and catching up with his friends, having stories and talking to others. He was very proud of the WB Messer Hostel. He didn't go on about all those things, though; I think he just thought it was part of his community work, giving back to the community."

Mr Messer is survived by his wife Lauris, his children Jill, Jeni, David and Philip, and his grand and great-grandchildren. A funeral service will take place at the Doveton Park Funeral Centre on Wednesday December 29 and will be live-streamed.

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