The Goulburn Valley lost one of its greatest characters last week.
David John Hardie — or Dave to most who knew him — died surrounded by his loving family in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The sporting community in the Goulburn Valley and beyond knew Dave’s health had deteriorated, but he was one of those people you thought would be around for eternity.
Dave was part of the furniture, an essential piece of the fabric of sport — and especially bowls — in the area, and his presence will be felt in the silence that follows his departure.
His memory will certainly live on forever in the region though, Dave having impacted the lives of so many of us.
Dave was many things, but for me what stood out was that he was always so full of ideas.
In the tradition of many of us who have worked on the News sports desk, I spent countless hours on the phone to Dave every summer.
He would regale me with tall tales of his life, let me in on the latest sporting rumours and give me advice on whichever story I had written that had caught his eye most recently.
And of course, he would give me his tips — always with another morsel of a storyline to chase or a player to catch up with from the matches.
Dave loved his Friday night bowls — along with his baby, the Victorian Open — and always had a way of making sure the photographer’s lens gravitated towards his rink on game day.
In winter he would call to chat about Collingwood and Lemnos Football Club — now the Shepparton Swans — and one year he even became the face of a News Mad Cow Mud Run team, the Hardie’s Heroes.
Dave was always generous with his time and advice, and for that I am extremely grateful.
I’m proud to have been one of Hardie’s Heroes, and I will miss the great man dearly.
Rest in peace, Dave — thanks for the memories.
Tyler Maher is the editor of the News
Shepparton Park Bowls Club will host a service to celebrate Dave’s life at its Kialla base on Monday, September 19 at 1pm. A special edition of After The Jack celebrating Dave’s life will be released this week, while a further tribute will be published in Friday’s News.