That is how Geoffrey Gowing’s son John, described his late father.

Geoffrey Alexander Gowing died peacefully in Denman on April 21, 2017 – not far short of his 100th birthday.

Geoffrey moved to “Kailana” on Castle Rock Road, Wybong, in 1945, with his bride Marjorie, following his discharge from the Royal Australian Air Force at the end of two tours of operational duty, in Africa/ Middle East, and then in the Far East (India and Burma) in RAF 159 Squadron.

He was born near Crookwell and his Mother died when Geoffrey was 12.

Raised by his uncle’s family in Sydney, sport was an important part of Mr Gowing’s early life.

Team sports at school in Chatswood, then polo as he started jackarooing at 15.

So too was flying​, in Tiger Moths, whilst working at Quirindi, before he enlisted in the RAAF in May 1940.

A keen reader of poetry, novels and newspapers, Mr Gowing stayed up to date with politics and world affairs until his sight failed him last year.

Mr Gowing was in the thick of WWII campaigns to stop the advance of both German and Japanese forces, being awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC).

He was trained as a wireless operator/gunner and navigator, in heavy bombers.

His crew in 159 Squadron was shot down in Burma behind enemy lines, a fate for those captured, or sympathetic Burmese, which  generally resulted, if captured, in summary beheadings.

His surviving crew members, though all injured, made a daring escape and were back in the air within months, trying to expel the Japanese from Rangoon and to free brutalised Allied prisoners.

Geoffrey courted his bride, Marjorie, a war-time nurse, before embarking for the Middle East.

In uniform in May, 1945, they married at Neutral Bay and moved to Muswellbrook to pursue their lifelong passion for grazing sheep and cattle.

The couple raised four children on Kailana – Robert, Kenneth, John and Anne; who provided them with 13 grandchildren; and lots of great grandchildren.

“He valued education, kept himself abreast of political and world affairs to the end and contributed time to many community organisations,” son John Gowing said.

“In the 60s and 70s he was Chairman of the Electoral Council for successive  Country Party Members of Parliament, representing the Hunter.

“But he was not one for the rough and tumble of public life in Macquarie Street or Canberra.

“He was a reserved and always cautions man..

“His word was his word.

“He immersed himself in the work of the RSL Sub-Branch assisting the families of service personnel; and national administration of Legacy, for more than 50 years; he served as a local government councillor for Denman Shire; served on the board of Upper Hunter Pasture Protection Board and the Hunter Land Board; [he was a] Rotarian; a life member of UHPA Association, after years as Ringmaster with  some of Muswellbrook Show; warden of St Paul’s Spring Creek; and oldest surviving foundation member of Muswellbrook Probus.”

John Gowing said his father was very hard working, thoughtful and forthright​; innovative in his approach to farming practices, but with some contradiction, certainly also conservative​; a wonderful Australian.

“We never introduced our father as Geoffrey, until he was into his 90s – always ‘Mr Gowing’,” he said.

“We all delight in the memories of working hard alongside our parents as kids – picking and packing fruit and turnips for sale, chasing sheep on horseback – ​my earliest recollections.

“Then in the shearing shed; bagging wheat, lopping kurrajongs and yarding cattle after school.

“[He] was an innovator, of necessity; he was a soil conversationalist, undertaking lots of remedial work on Kailana and intent on mitigating further erosion.

“Perhaps an environmentalist before his generation acknowledged those custodial responsibilities.

“He played polo for the now defunct Muswellbrook Polo Club when we were kids – riding our family pool of stock horses, mostly derived from our mother’s mares, brought down from Moree after their honeymoon.

“After the Late John Bell, he would have been the oldest surviving playing member from the Muswellbrook Polo Club, later also honoured as a Life Member of Scone Polo Club.”

Neither Mr or Mrs Gowing ever dreamed of leaving their beloved Kailana.

Under protest, they moved into a unit in Merton Court, Denman due to medical circumstances only a few years ago.

“They received wonderful medical care and support whilst independently living there,” Mr Gowing said.

“Our mother passed away in 2015, and Geoffrey moved just last year into the Merton Hostel.

“Again wonderful care from family, doctors and hostel staff, together with spiritual support from Reverend Jody, enabled him to remain as alert as possible to punch at 100​, which he fell just short of.

“His 99th Birthday Party last year was a full family affair and his impromptu speech confirmed he had full command.

“Now Robert and Anne are neighbours on that special place, Kailana, named after a village in Kashmir, where Dad took leave from active duty in India in 1942.​

“Still all his extending family have the pleasure continuing our lifelong association with our roots​.”