Ian Holdsworth
A guard of honour lined the route of the funeral cortege of prominent Warragul community worker Ian Holdsworth last Tuesday.
Mr Holdsworth, aged 72, died on June 11 after a short illness.
Limitations on numbers able to attend the funeral service due to coronavirus restrictions did not deter many paying their respects by forming the guard of honour.
They included members of the Warragul Rotary Club, Warragul Inner Wheel, the Gippsland Car Club and a local coffee club as well as friends.
Mr Holdsworth is survived by his wife Sue, two children, four stepchildren and 13 grandchildren.
After starting his working life as a dairy farmer at Ripplebrook Mr Holdsworth established and operated a successful exhaust repair business in Warragul.
The practical hands-on skills he developed in business proved beneficial to the community groups with which he became associated, especially Rotary.
During 32 years membership of Warragul Rotary club Mr Holdsworth served as president, a director for many years and in 2006 was awarded Rotary International’s prestigious recognition as a Paul Harris Fellow, to which a sapphire pin was added last year.
Mr Holdsworth and his wife Sue were outstanding supporters of Rotary International’s student exchange program hosting many overseas students at their home with whom they developed lasting relationships and later visited during overseas travels.
His Rotary colleagues at Warragul described Mr Holdsworth’s contribution to the club as “outstanding” especially when it came to tasks that required the back to be bent or the hands to get dirty.
Among the things he devoted numerous hours to were the club’s annual Art Show, Rotary Park in Warragul, the arbor at Gulwarra Heights cemetery, Snow-fest and Warragul community garden.
He also represented the club at many conferences.
Mr Holdsworth was also one of the “backbones” of Warragul Rotary’s long-time major fund-raisers, the growing and selling of Christmas trees.
He rarely missed working bees to prepare the ground, plant and maintain trees and help with their cutting, loading, sale and delivery.
Interment took place at Gulwarra Heights cemetery with funeral arrangements handled by Nielsen Funerals.