That's how Tom is being remembered after one of Leeton's favourite sons peacefully passed away surrounded by family on Thursday, September 1 at Alf Herrmann Lodge. Tom was 68 years young.

Few figures were as synonymous with the Leeton Shire than Tom Thompson who, despite briefly living in Myrtleford and Forbes, truly made Leeton his home.

Tom was born at the beginning of lambing season in 1953, and his humble childhood would greatly influence his life and his overwhelmingly generous personality.

"He came from very humble beginnings and he worked very hard all his life to provide for his family. He was really proud of that," said Tom's third child, Joanne.

Tom's second youngest child Steven remembered his dad would always answer the phone with the same phrase, "How much?"

It's no surprise that everyone in Leeton thought fondly of Tom, whether it was his co-workers at Murrumbidgee Irrigation where he worked for 46 years, or the Woolworths deli attendant who would serve him Devon.

He got along with everyone, to the point where his children remember him divvying out quippy nicknames to nearly all he met, whether that be 'Passionate Patty' or 'Wonderful Wendy from Wangaratta'.

"He had a knack of making people feel like they were the most important person in the room," recalled Tom's second child, Belinda.

Tom's love for people was perhaps best represented by his ongoing service to his community and the Leeton Shire. The roles he played and the activities he took on for the betterment of the community is near endless.

From on-and-off taxi driver, to committee member that helped build the Leeton Pre-School and the Leeton Stadium, to director of the Leeton Soldiers Club, to Leeton Shire councillor, there were few things he didn't get involved with.

Tom also played a significant role at the Leeton Community Op Shop, and began to get involved with Boys to the Bush, a not-for-profit which provides intervention and mentorship for boys.

Despite seemingly being everywhere at once, Tom's wife and kids remember him as a family man who loved his children and, as his progeny joked, loved his grandchildren even more.

"His number one was his grandkids," Tom's first child, Carolyn recalled. "He was so proud of them".

They all agreed that one of his biggest passions was footy.

Not only did Tom play for the Leeton Redlegs as a young man, but he eventually became the club president, as well as vice president, recruitment committee member, boundary umpire and goal umpire, along with many other roles at the club.

He and his best friends Pat Lyons and Peter "Bud" Morris were also instrumental in the team's merger with the Whitton Tigers that led to the creation of the Leeton Whitton Crows in 1995.

Tom's commitment to the footy club and his resourcefulness were perhaps no better represented than when he helped organise camel races to raise funds for the Crows in 1998. The races were such a spectacle and a success that even the UAE ambassador to Australia attended the event.

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But it was Tom's love for the Collingwood Football Club that exceeded all. The passion for the black and white ran so deep that the Leeton Whitton Crows song is still sung to the tune of 'Good Old Collingwood Forever'.

"Collingwood meant more than his children," Carolyn joked. "It went Collingwood, grandkids and then kids."

"We learnt early on that if Collingwood's winning then that's the best time to ask dad for a loan," Joanne added.

Tom's love for footy even scored him a cameo role in the 2018 film, or "filum" as Tom pronounced it, The Merger.

Belinda said her dad was very proud of his cameo, despite the fact you could only see "his left elbow and an eyelash" for a brief second.

Tom's legacy now lives on in that filum, as well as the Op Shop, the Soldiers Club, the Leeton Shire Council and just about anyone who was fortunate enough to have known him.

His legacy even lives on in the small footbridge near Tom's home, which the family would like to have renamed to 'Thompson Bridge'.

Tom's lasting impact on Leeton was evident at his memorial service at the Leeton Showground on Monday, September 12, where hundreds gathered before the goalposts to remember their beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and mate.

The service concluded with a final siren and Tom doing one last lap of his beloved Crows' homeground, while 'Good Old Collingwood Forever' and 'Up There Cazaly' played, as attendees formed a guard of honour around the oval.

It's no surprise why he was so beloved by so many.

"He came from humble beginnings and he was never judgmental," Carolyn said.

"He always wanted to help those less fortunate, and it was important for him to make sure that everybody was treated equally and respectfully."

Tom's family said his rich life could be summed up by his three biggest loves: family above all else, followed by friends, and then footy.

Tom is survived by his wife Jude, his five children Carolyn, Belinda, Joanne, Steven and Christopher, his 14 grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.

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