Company director, Rotarian, real estate agent, board member.
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Rod Oxley did a lot in his final years of life.
But it's the 27 years that he spent as a public servant for Wollongong City Council - first in its treasury department then later as CEO and general manager - for which he will be remembered.
A controversial and sometimes polarising figure, Oxley toiled for years behind the scene to bring Wollongong into the 21st century, helping to guide its evolution from a working-class steel city into a sprawling, culturally diverse metropolis.
But his desire to see Wollongong thrive would ultimately lead to his undoing - a fall from grace in the eyes of the public that close friends say he never really got over.
"The ICAC finding did weigh on him heavily," Oxley's friend, colleague and biographer, Neryl East, said.
"I don't think he ever really got passed that."
Officers from the Independent Commission Against Corruption raided the council's offices in 2006 looking for evidence to prosecute council staff and local developers in an infamous investigation now dubbed the "Wollongong sex for development" scandal.
Oxley resigned from the general manager's role the following year, with his farewell party attracting the who's who in Wollongong's political and social circles.
In 2008, after a salacious public inquiry, ICAC made a series of adverse findings against a host of individuals, including Oxley, who it said had created a "pro development" culture within the council that had allowed "corruption to flourish".
While ICAC did not recommend that Oxley face any charges (several others did), the findings caused Oxley immense heartache.
He told the Mercury at the time he was "shattered'' by the findings and in 2009 engaged Ms East to write his memoir, Named and Shamed, in which he told his side of the story.
Oxley largely kept out of the public eye for the next few years, marrying his second wife Sally in 2010 and continuing to serve as a non-executive director on the board of Southern Phone Company.
In 2011 he mounted a comeback to public life, running against popular Uniting Church minister Gordon Bradbery for the role of lord mayor at Wollongong's first election since the council was sacked in the wake of the ICAC scandal.
He did not win. In fact, he didn't even come close to winning, but that didn't stop the ever-resilient Oxley from putting the loss behind him and continuing to serve the community he so loved.
Oxley has been president of Wollongong Rotary, a board member of Business Illawarra's regional advisory council and manager of his wife's real estate agency in the past decade, but had largely retired from public life in recent years.
Oxley suffered a stroke two weeks ago and was admitted to Wollongong Hospital for treatment. A statement from his family said he passed away on Sunday morning. He was 74.
He is survived by his wife Sally, his children Rachael, Ty and Tim, and four granddaughters.
Funeral details will be announced in the coming days.
David Campbell leads tributes to ex-GM
Ex-Wollongong MP David Campbell has led tributes to former council general manager Rod Oxley, who died on Sunday, aged 74.
Mr Campbell, who spent nearly a decade working alongside Oxley while lord mayor of Wollongong in the 1990s, described him as a "true leader" who was committed to seeing a "strong, robust city".
"He was engaging and prepared to listen to people," he said.
"He led by example".
Another of Oxley's colleagues, former council communications manager Neryl East, who would later become Oxley's biographer, said her ex-boss had an "absolute passion for Wollongong".
"He really was 100 per cent committed to Wollongong and what he saw as Wollongong's best interests," she said.
"Sometime his views were polarising, not everyone agreed with him, but he always, I believe, acted in what he thought was Wollongong's best interest."
She said Oxley was a popular boss who was genuinely liked by his staff.
"He was a great leader, very decisive and great fun. He had a really good sense of humour," she said.
"He was also one of most resilient people I've ever met.
"He loved life, he was definitely larger than life and a one-of-a-kind character."
Current Wollongong council general manager Greg Doyle also paid tribute to Oxley on behalf of the organisation he led for more than 20 years, thanking him for his service and implementing several programs during his time as GM that still run to this day.
"I am saddened to hear the news of Rod Oxley's passing," he said.
"Rod was committed to public service. He was proud of Wollongong City Council and those that worked here. He was particularly focused on 'continuous improvement' introducing the nationally recognised 'quality program' during his time with council."
"Rod was generous with his time and was keen to see staff grow and develop.
"He invested in learning and development programs and was a key supporter of council's cadets, apprentice and trainee program."
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