Koroit is mourning the loss of a life-long resident and one of the town's most recognisable figures.
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John Gunn has passed away after a battle with cancer. He was 73.
Mr Gunn's sister Dorothy said her brother had a deep love for Koroit.
"Koroit was very special to him, he lived here his whole life," she said.
"I don't think he ever thought about leaving Koroit.
"He did a lot of things over the course of his life and he was very well respected in the community."
Mr Gunn was well known for his work as a lighting technician.
He used this craft to be a key player in theatre productions in Warrnambool and as a member of the Lighthouse Theatre team for many years.
Mr Gunn also had a long association with the Koroit Theatre, doing the lighting for events at the venue, including the annual Koroit Irish Festival.
He also served on the committee of management of the Koroit Theatre for more than two decades.
At the time of his passing he was president of the committee.
He was one of the last group of operators to run the original film projectors in the Koroit Theatre before they were retired earlier this century.
The committee will be honouring Mr Gunn with his portrait to be hung in the theatre foyer to recognise his outstanding service.
Mr Gunn also helped with lighting productions at the Port Fairy Folk Festival.
But perhaps what made Mr Gunn so prominent in the community was his ability to master a number of trades.
After leaving school, Mr Gunn did an apprenticeship as a builder, working for Fotheringham's in Warrnambool and Ron McCosh in Koroit.
He then went out on his own, before upskilling and becoming a qualified electrician.
It was this trade for which he became renowned in Koroit, working with the McLean family in its electrical shop in Koroit's main street.
Mr Gunn had the reputation of being able to fix just about anything with many Koroit families calling on his services.
Mr Gunn's talents for making and fixing things shone through early, when as a child, he started to build a treehouse in his yard.
This was to become as impressive a treehouse to be found, and remains a feature of the Gunn's family property.
His sister Dorothy also recalled one of her brother's other skills.
"He was a pilot," she said.
"One year my husband and I bought him flying lessons as a present and he instantly fell in love with flying.
"He never looked back and flew a lot of hours."
A memorial service for Mr Gunn will be held at the Eastern Park Chapel in Warrnambool at 2pm on Friday, February 16, 2024.
