If you needed help, Rex Fernance would be there to do whatever he could.
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That’s the kind of person he was, his father Ron and brother Graeme said.
Mr Fernance, the manager at Furneys Rural in Rutherford, died on September 1 after he suffered a heart attack. He was 61.
More than 350 people farewelled Mr Fernance at a moving funeral service at St John’s Anglican Church in Cessnock on Thursday. Mourners came from as far as Queensland.
Graeme said his brother was a quiet achiever and a perfectionist who loved race horses, trotters, cars and The Rocky Horror Show.
“He had a wonderful nature, he was a perfectionist at home and at work,” he said.
“He loved helping people, he had a great reputation and was loved by staff and clients.”
“He couldn’t do enough for people if he knew they were in trouble, if you were in need he would do whatever he could to help you,” Ron added.
Mr Fernance had been the manager at the Rutherford store for eight years.
He was involved with suicide prevention through a partnership between Hunter rural suppliers and Lifeline, and helped disadvantaged youth through Mission Australia.
He also helped Western District Employment Services find jobs for unemployed youth.
Mr Fernance was the second child of Joan and Ron, of Bellbird, and grew up with his brother Graeme and his sister Gayle.
He started his career at the ANZ Bank in Cessnock after he finished Cessnock High School and moved into a range of jobs before he became the manager at Furneys Rural.
He worked at the ANZ Bank branch in Gosford and then came back to Cessnock to work as a real estate agent with Sternbeck’s Real Estate. He spent 10 years there before he moved out west.
He worked in Tamworth and Dubbo for Manchester Unity and then returned to real estate before joining Furneys Rural.
The company created the position for him at Rutherford so he could be close to his ageing parents.
His job was to talk to the customers and keep them happy. Ron and Graeme said he excelled at it.
“He built that place up,” Ron said.
“He loved talking and joking with people,” Graeme added.
“It’s been overwhelming to read the messages from Rex’s friends and associates.”
Rex had a quarter horse, called Joey, who he took to shows and obtained a long list of accolades in Queensland, NSW and Victoria.
He loved to spend time talking to horses, grooming them and preparing them for a race.
He tried to establish an equestrian centre at Rutherford, but couldn’t win the support of Maitland council to make it a reality.
“He did designs and drawings of what he would like to see built but council rejected it due to cost,” Graeme said.
“I can remember him doing designs and plans for homes, he used to have hundreds of them.”