Family and friends gathered on Thursday to farewell "everyone's mate", newspaperman Peter Newell.
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Mr Newell worked for the Illawarra Mercury for 30 years - as a reporter, editor and general manager - retiring in 2000.
In 2004 he became ClubsNSW chairman, a position he held for 15 years.
He passed away on September 28 after a long battle with cancer.
At his service, Karen Newell - one of four children of Mr Newell and his wife Judy - spoke of a man who was all things to all people.
"He was known to many people as many different things," Ms Newell said.
"He was a loving husband, an accomplished journalist, chairman of the board, an enthusiastic punter. He was everyone's mate, but to Steve, Rob, Kel and I, we just knew him as our good old dad."
He doted on his 10 grandchildren and could often be found at their sporting events, school assemblies and and singing concerts.
"It was Dad's love of his grandchildren that made us realise how lucky we were as a family," Ms Newell said.
While at the Mercury, Mr Newell was instrumental in the birth of the Illawarra Steelers, with former club boss Bob Millward saying he "brought world-class rugby league to Wollongong".
"Everything he did, he made a difference," Mr Millward said.
Another former editor, Nick Hartgerink, said the 30 years Mr Newell worked at the Mercury marked a "golden era" for the paper.
"Today is actually the 165th anniversary of the publication of the first edition of the Mercury on October 8, 1855," Mr Hartgerink said.
"So it is an auspicious date to be sending off one of the paper's greatest servants."
Mr Hartgerink said the Mercury employees who worked with Mr Newell realised he was "the best boss any of us could imagine".
He said Mr Newell was known to use the Mercury to put a rocket up those people and organisations who he felt were not "serving the best interests of the region".
One such rocket led to one of Mr Newell's greatest legacies - a much safer road down Mt Ousley.
"Mt Ousley Road in those days was a single-lane death trap and the speeding coal trucks weren't policed properly," Mr Hartgerink said.
"With screaming banner headlines like 'Ousley Slaughter' and 'Death Road' Peter committed the Mercury to a campaign to have the road dramatically improved and properly policed.
"The success of that campaign, with the introduction of multiple lanes, raised jersey barriers, escape beds for trucks and properly enforced speed zones was to be one of his proudest achievements as a journalist."
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