By PAUL O'BREE
RICHARD John (Dick) O’Bree was born in 1936 at Nyah.
He was the son of Richard Thomas Tasman O’Bree and Ivy Dinah O’Bree.
Dick had two sisters: an older sister, Barb, and a younger sister, Marion.
Although Dick was born in Nyah, he spent his primary school years at Euroa.
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His father worked for the lands department and was transferred to Euroa.
Dick would go and watch the Euroa football teams of the 1940s; he loved footy, and from those early years at Euroa he made lifelong friends which made it very easy to return years later.
His father then moved to Lake Boga, where Dick met Nancy Marie Dunstan.
They were married in their late teens and moved back to Euroa where they had three children, Ricky, Steve and Paul.
Dick worked on the Euroa Shire outdoor staff until 1973, when he and Nancy took over the Golden Fleece Deport at the bottom of the Euroa overpass.
They made a success of it and spent the next 18 years in a business that kept them connected to the community.
Dick was a sportsman, he loved it and his life revolved around it.
His achievements were many – he won a football premiership in his first season at Lake Boga in 1953 at 16, and in his last at Euroa in 1971 at 35, with many in between as already detailed in the history books, and past Euroa Gazette articles.
Dick was a handy cricketer and he loved it.
He played with the Wanderers Cricket Club, winning two Maygar bats for the most runs in the Euroa & District Cricket Association when it was of a great competitive standard.
Later Dick took up bowls and enjoyed Saturday and Pennant competitions, and trips with friends to the Lake Boga annual lawn bowls tournament was a highlight.
Dick and Nancy shared a love of gardening and created an amazing award-winning garden in Turnbull Street, Euroa.
They worked hard for decades in the garden.
They enjoyed a cuppa in the backyard or on the front veranda enjoying the gum trees, the creek, and overlooking sport on the magnificent Memorial Oval.
Dick adored his nine grand kids and twelve great grandkids.
He was very proud of them all; his face would light up when he saw them.
A few years ago, Dick fell and broke his hip, and dementia followed.
After Nancy died the wind was taken out of his sails, and he never recovered.
His last years were spend in the GraniteHill nursing home where he was very well cared for.
Dick's life will live on through the history books and so may people’s fond memories of his sport, his friendship, and the many joyful moments he gave everyone through his deeds and his warmth.
