“In my 50 years of knowing him, I’ve never heard an unkind word about Arnold,” close friend Ian Crawford said of Young man and well known firefighter and fisherman Arnold Fuller.
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While his former captain and good friend Don Smyth described him as a man who was “good at what he did” and his sister Lavell Hardy said “he could turn his hand to anything”.
Arnie, as he was best known, sadly passed away, aged 71, on March 26 after battling Alzheimer's disease and cancer.
A graveside service was held on April 2 at the Young Lawn Cemetery, where current and former members of the Young Fire & Rescue NSW brigade - including retired captains of Young and captains from Cootamundra, Harden, Boorowa and Temora - formed a guard of honour with three fire tankers for their fellow fighter.
“Just the show of respect they had for him, it was just unbelievable,” former Young Fire & Rescue NSW captain Don said.
“All the things he was involved in were well represented on [the day]...Everyone went away happy because of all the happy memories they have of him, that’s how I felt.
“Cootamundra (firefighters) came over to man our station so all of the boys could attend.”
Arnie was the brigade’s engine keeper for most of the 40 years he was a member.
“That motor just shined all the time,” Don said.
“He was great and consistent, I never had to ask him twice.”
But most will remember Arnie as the firefighter who looked after the charity Christmas sleigh - the sleigh he built for the brigade - pushing it up and down Boorowa Street every year.
He also had a lot of time to show children the ropes of the trade.
Arnie retired in March 2014 after four decades of service and commitment to the brigade.
Another passion of his was fishing, where he was a member of the Young Anglers Fishing Club for a little over 20 years.
He was on the executive for 19 years - 14 of which were spent as club captain and the remaining five as president, until his health began to fail.
In 2014 he was awarded life membership.
“He was a great club captain - as club captain you’re in charge of keeping all the records and when there was a disagreement on size or anything, Arnold would get the scales out,” Ian said, who was also a fisherman.
“As president he was a very inspirational leader and was never afraid to get his hands dirty.
“Everyone loved him and everyone enjoyed working with him.”
Born Arnold Leslie Fuller on May 26, 1944 in Melbourne, he grew up on a farm near Barmedman.
The family moved to Young when Arnold was 12, where he attended Young High School.
His first job was at Normyles at the former site of National Engineering in Boorowa Street.
Arnold, formerly of Lansdowne Street, started out as a storeman, then became a panel beater and eventually turned his hand to his own tailor-made canvas business.
He was a loved father and grandfather, and brother of Lavell and Richard.
“He could do anything,” Lavell said, “it’s a big loss.”
