Michael Harris, whose brother Brett was killed while he was outside at home on Wednesday, has spoken fondly of a brother with a "massive" smile whose friendly nature saw him even called "the Mayor of Stanwell Park".
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An outpouring of love has followed Mr Harris's death, which came after he was hit by an out-of-control ute which crashed into the house where he lived, caring for his mother, near the corner of Railway Cres and Lawrence Hargrave Drive.
While grieving a terrible loss Michael, five years older than Brett, who was 57, took the time to pay tribute to his brother, and remembered when they first came to the northern Illawarra village decades ago.
"He's been here for nearly 40 years," Mr Harris said. "We both came here that long ago with Mum - we surfed here and loved it.
Read more: Brett Harris a 'heartbeat' of the town
"The house where our mother lived, he was always outside waving to people, talking to people who were walking past. Everybody knew Brett. People respected his strong stance on life, and love for the Stanwell Park community here.
"He was a stalwart of Stanwell Park. Someone said he was the Mayor of Stanwell Park."
A huge memorial has taken shape near the house as residents of the small community try their best to express how vital a character to the town was Brett.
Michael Harris, who lives not far up the road, said Brett was a constant presence in the yard, which is on one of the main main pedestrian thoroughfares.
"Brett had a massive smile," he said.
"He was great with all the kids - they loved him because he liked to have a joke with them. All the groms [young surfers] out in the surf enjoyed his company; he'd give kids surfboards if they didn't have one."
Another neighbour had called him "one of the town's heartbeats".
Local councillor Leigh Colacino was also affected.
"Brett was a very special person to me and my family for decades," he said on a community forum. "He was always kind and thoughtful. Always thinking of others."
Cr Colacino said the tragedy may give cause to resurrect plans for traffic calming devices or barriers in the area. He said he had often discussed this issue with Mr Harris.
"Brett was very concerned about the traffic issues in Stanwell Park," he said.
"These concerns are what I will still push forward until they have been addressed effectively.
Cr Colacino planned to ask the community what type of action they thought would be best.
For Mr Harris, whose mum is staying nearby with his sister while the house is checked for safety, his brother's death and its aftermath had shown once again how a close community pulls together to help - and he was filled with gratitude.
"We've got a really tight community here," he said. "Everyone's been coming round, we've got people from Helensburgh too, everyone's been involved."
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