BELOVED Horsham pie shop owner Greg Pitman will be remembered as a man who "encapsulated joy".
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Greg died on July 3 at the age of 58. He is survived by his children Eleni and Jonty Pitman, and his former wife Michelle Pitman.
Greg was born on February 8, 1961 in Kyneton. His family moved to Gymbowen when he was three.
He attended Gymbowen Primary School and then Horsham Technical College. After leaving school at 16, he did a pastry cook apprenticeship with Ray Henley of Ray's Hot Bread Shop in Horsham.
In 1990, Greg and Michelle bought into Horsham pie shop Besselaar's Pies and Pastries with Stuart and Sandra McClure. In 1995, Greg became the sole owner of the business.
Eleni said her dad was famous for his variety of both sweet and savory treats at the shop.
"He was always so friendly; he had smiles for every single person who came in," she said.
"He received awards for some of the sweeter items in the past, but he wasn't too keen on entering the competitions. It's more of an iconic Horsham thing. The one item he was super proud of though were his super sausage rolls."
The shop had its final day of business on Saturday.
"Almost every person who came into the shop had stories about him," she said.
"We were accepting donations for Beyond Blue and made nearly $600. It was actually more notes than spare change, so people were very generous."
Eleni said her dad was a very special man.
"No one has a bad word to say about him. He was loved by lots and lots of people. There are so many good memories - it's all smiles and laughter," she said.
"The comments that people have made about dad have been such a comfort to Jonty and I, especially during the first few days. It helped us push through; the outpouring of support has been amazing."
Jonty said his dad would be missed by the community.
"He was the kind of bloke who encapsulated joy every time you were with him. Every time you were with dad, you'd find something to be in tears of laughter about," he said.
"Dad and I spent a lot of time together when I was growing up where we'd just drive around. All the memories about him are good memories.
"The last time I saw him was when I came to visit and we spent a day at the shop together. It was a really nice day because I got to really see the process of how he made things."
He encouraged more people to reach out when in need.
"I want to take a big role in education of mental health awareness and make it known that there is always going to be someone there to talk to," he said.
Greg's funeral will be on Tuesday, July 16 from 1.30pm at Horsham's Holy Trinity Lutheran Church.
Eleni said people could donate to Beyond Blue rather than buy flowers. She said the family had also set up a donation page for Beyond Blue.
- If you, or someone you know, needs help contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
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