Whether it was behind the counter of S and W Miller electrical store in High Street, hamming it up on stage at Maitland Repertory or working tirelessly for his local Lions Club, Mr Sellers embraced his hometown and its people.

Our city lost one of its favourite sons on March 19 when Mr Sellers passed peacefully holding the hands of his loved ones.

Mr Sellers was born on February 23, 1937 to parents Oswald (Ossie) and Daisy (nee Wright) Sellers.

He was raised in Maitland and lived here all his life.

With his siblings were Moreen, Eric, Eileen and Jim the family lived in Mathew Lane, Horseshoe Bend on a small farm. Ossie was the local fruiterer.

Mr Sellers attended Horseshoe Bend Infants School, Maitland Primary and then Maitland Boys High.

One of his hobbies was raising game bantams and other prize poultry which showed at Sydney's Royal East Show and other country shows.

So pedantic was he about the appearance of his "birds" Mr Sellers would have them bathed in Blue Clinic Shampoo then dried with a hairdryer.

He also assisted his father in the care of his racing pigeon flock.

Mr Sellers also had a part in training and driving the family's trotters. Sadly the last horse Mr Sellers trained called Mathew Lane, was a total disappointment and ended up pulling a bakers cart for the Newcastle Co-op.

Gifted with a great singing voice, Mr Sellers was asked to join Maitland Dramatic Art Club which was run by Colin Chapman who later owned The Roxy Theatre in Newcastle.

The Maitland Clubrooms were at 222 High St, Maitand - almost opposite Maitland Town Hall.

It was there in 1958 love blossomed when Mr Sellers met his future wife Rosalea, who had been a member of the club for a couple of years.

They appeared together in some productions and in later years became members of Maitland Repertory Society. Mr Sellers became repertory's house manager - a position he held for many years.

Mr Sellers lifelong friend Ron Pickett, also formed a group called the Maitland Variety Club. They did cabaret/revue type shows at all the clubs around Newcastle and Maitland. Money raised was given to local charities.

Mr and Mrs Sellers were married in St Paul's Anglican Church in Maitland Park on October 3, 1959 and their reception was held at Clive Lodge in Regent Street.

They lived in Carrington Street, Horseshoe Bend where three of their four children were born - Susan, Bruce and Jennifer.

Mr Sellers did not want to follow on in the family business and instead went to work for NSW Railways where he held the roles of station assistant, guard, signalman and station master. This was an appointment that he didn't take up because it required a move which the family did not want.

Mr and Mrs Sellers then purchased the general store in Horseshoe Bend which they kept for eight years. It was long hours with a young family and in Dec 1969 their 4th child, Todd was born.

Mr Sellers sister, Eileen, came to assist Mrs Sellers in the shop and Mr Sellers went to work for the Singer Sewing Machine Company in High Street, Maitland for a couple of years before he went to manage S and W Millers Electrical Store where he worked for about 30 years before finishing his working life at Maitland Retravision in 2002 at 65.

In 1972 the family moved to Banks Street, East Maitland.

In 1974 Lion Keith Priestly of Lions Club of Maitland invited Mr Sellers to become a member of the soon to be Chartered Lions Club of East Maitland. This newly chartered club would come to play a huge role in his life, both socially and as an avenue to give back to the community he so loved.

Mr Sellers was part of many major Lions projects over his many years of membership some of his own conception such as The County Fair which was held at the Maitland Showground with a big street procession down High Street and of course the iconic Ball in the mall. It was after attending the Lions National Convention in Darwin and attending the convention highlight a Ball in the Mall that he said: "We can do this at home in our mall in Maitland." The annual event ran for 20 years and raised more than $200,000 for local charities.

The Lions Club of East Maitland would also play host to a number of Japanese exchange students. One student was named Pipi and came from the Japan 7 Lions Club. The Sellers played host family to Pipi who attended St Joseph's College at Lochinvar with younger daughter Jennifer. A strong bond of love and friendship with Pippi would last over 40 years with quite a few visits back and forth to the USA where she ended up living with her family. Sadly, Pipi passed away in 2021.

Mr Sellers was nominated for Maitland Citizen of the year in 1991.

He was also part of the Maitland Australia Day committee and M.C. for Maitland City Councils official Australia Day Ceremony held at Walka Water Works for many years.

In 1983 he became a grandfather for the first time and today he has a total of 17 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren whom he adored and they all adored him.

In 2016 he received a certificate from the Attorney General marking his 50 years as a Justice of the Peace.

Mr Sellers escaped death twice - first by spending the night in the attic of his home in Mathew Lane, Horseshoe Bend, together with his father and brother Eric during the 1955 floods. He had just turned 18. Then at aged 19 he had a serious motor vehicle accident.

In 2020 Chas Keys published a book called "Maitland Speaks, the experience of floods" which includes Mr Sellers' story.

Having spent about 12 weeks in hospital, most during lockdown, Mr Sellers' one wish was to be home with family to celebrate his 85th birthday.

So determined was he to come home, Mr Sellers defied medical advice and returned to the family home in Banks Street to mark what would be his last birthday.