FARMER and prominent community member Rodney Leslie has died.
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He lost his battle with cancer on September 12.
Rodney was born at Murtoa on July 13, 1957, and grew up on a small farm at Lubeck. From an early age he showed signs of being destined for a life working on the land.
Rodney, the youngest son of Perc and Edith and a brother to Trevor and Merle, spent more than 40 years as a shearer. He married his wife Helen in 1977.
Helen said her husband always carried strong family values. The couple had four children together – Peter, Tania, Jenny and Julie.
“He loved the farm and the outdoors, and as a shearer he loved sheep. It’s not a big farm, just a couple of hundred acres,” she said.
“His family values were very poignant and he was passionate about whatever he did.”
Rodney’s neighbour Max Maher said Rodney was always a caring farmer who loved his animals.
“He spent 40 years shearing and took pride in his ability to shear well. He was a valued member of our shearing team for 40 years,” Mr Maher said.
“He was a major contributor to the good natured banter that comes with shearing. He spent 40 years shearing and took pride in his ability to shear well.
“From an early age he had a great affinity with birds and animals and their welfare. At one stage he had a goose that thought it was a sheep.”
His family values were very poignant and he was passionate about whatever he did.
- Helen Leslie
Along with farming, Rodney was known for his involvement with football, especially at the Taylors Lake Football Netball Club.
Helen said Rodney was passionate about the game.
“He played some of his junior footy at Murtoa,” she said.
“He gave it up for a couple of years and then went out to Taylors Lake. He stayed there for the rest of his life. Rod played footy and I played netball and all of our children played out there.”
Nothing was too much for him when it come to Taylors Lake.
- Tammy McDonald
To his shearing mates, Rodney was known as Rocket, but at the Lakers, he was known simply as Tack.
Three days after Rodney died, his grandson Eli played in Taylors Lake’s first Horsham District league junior premiership in the under-14s. Taylors Lake president Tammy McDonald said Rodney was a stalwart of the club.
“Nothing was too much for him when it come to Taylors Lake,” she said.
“We could ask him to do anything. The club was like an extension of his family.
“We hoped he would have held on to see that result in the junior grand final. At one stage a rainbow came out over the ground and a few club members commented that it was Tack watching over the ground.”
A memorial will be held at Dock Lake Reserve from 1pm on Friday.