Ceremonial paddle out to remember the life of Ron Blackney

Crowds gathered on Saturday as members of the Warrnambool Surf Lifesaving Club took to the ocean in honour of Mr Blackney.

The surf lifesaving club, which he joined in 1947, was like a second family for Ron and his wife Pat who for 60 years opened their home every Christmas morning to their surf life saving friends.

Pat and Ron met at a dance on Easter Saturday 1950.

"A good friend of mine who I went to school with introduced me to Ron and we met at the Palais, we were both fond of dancing," Mrs Blackney said.

"A lot of things happened during that time, he helped build the surf club and I said that I wouldn't get married until I had a house to live in.

"So after we'd finished organising the building of the club he started on the house.

"He was playing football and of course that took up Saturday afternoons, so he gave away playing football and concentrated on the house."

The couple were married in 1956 and had three daughters.

"They have been great for me since Ron passed away," she said.

"He always considered the family came first but was very helpful whenever he thought someone needed him as well.

"I thought the sendoff today was wonderful and so moving, I'll never forget it.

"I hope he was able to watch how much people actually thought of him.

"I wish Ron could read what people have said about him, and it was nice for us to receive those tributes to him. I think he would have been so emotional about it that he wouldn't have expected it.

"He wouldn't have expected the crowd that turned up today."

He was known to his mates - who he used to love sharing a single malt whiskey with - as Basher because when he was asked to do something he would always say "I'll have a bash".

READ MORE: Warrnambool mourning the loss of community volunteer Ron Blackney

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: