Whether it was the Apex Club, Gloucester Show committee or Gloucester Prostate Cancer Group, working on the farm or spending time with his family, James (Jim) Gordon Fraser filled his life full of the things that mattered most to him.

“A very proud and humble man that never showed too much emotion,” Jim’s son Paul Fraser said of him during the eulogy. 

Many people in Gloucester knew Jim through the work he did in the community but Jim was a private man, not looking for much fanfare to mark his achievements.

He was born on Christmas Day in 1944, lived and worked on his farm, raised a family with his wife, Dianne until he passed away peacefully at 3am on Friday, February 9.

According to his family, the three most important things to Jim were family, farm and community.

He had a passion for driving change and stretching the boundaries.

Jim and Dianne came from different religious backgrounds, one Catholic and the other Presbyterian at a time when the two religious weren’t harmonious in the community.

When it came time for their wedding, on January 17, 1970, they were married in the Catholic Church by Father Kennedy with assistance from Reverend Penny, the Presbyterian minister.

“Having two different priests from different religions definitely had some Gloucester folk talking,” Paul joked during the eulogy.

Jim was a family man and his survived by his wife Dianne, his four sons Tim, Dave, Brett and Paul, 10 grandchildren and a great grandchild - Hunter, Jaxon, Riley, the twins Ashton and Toby, Henley, Brianna, Kristopher, Kennedi, Wyatt and Alaïa - and in July this year, a new Fraser boy is to be welcomed into the family.

When it came to his farm, Jim loved his land known as Tibbuc and his family describe him as a true farmer.

“He told my little brother in some of his last words that he loved getting up and working hard every day, and if given another chance he would do it all over again,” Paul said during the eulogy.

For Jim, his community was something he took pride in and he didn’t shy away from putting his hand up when asked to be involved.

A large part of his life was spent in the Apex Club, joining in 1964 and staying a member for 20 years, being made president four years after joining. 

During his time with Apex there was the highest number of members, the aged people's units in Denison Street was proposed and planned under his leadership, the lookouts on at Mograni and Kia Ora were completed and the club won most of the District Four trophies.

“Between 1969 until he finished in 1986, Dad held directorships in just about every area of Apex,” Paul said in the eulogy.

“During this time, he was chairperson of the Combined Services Clubs Committee that brought about this very recreation centre that we are in today,” Paul stated.

In 1985, Jim was made a life member of Apex and in that same year he led the highly successful Zone 10 Apex Convention which brought close to 700 people to the town for the weekend.

“The Gloucester Show committee was also close to Dad's heart,” Paul said in the eulogy.

Jim was vice president from 1984 until 1988 during which time he was an enthusiastic promoter of adding more entertainment events including fireworks, trotting races, motorbike demonstrations and dog shows.

“He always wanted to make sure people were having a good time,” Paul said.

In 2008, after his own journey, Jim saw a need to start a support group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer in Gloucester.

Fellow founding member of the Gloucester Prostate Cancer Support Group, Steve Pennicuik said Jim thought it was important for men to know they weren’t the only one in town with cancer.

“Jim was the only bloke I could talk to who gave me a lot of help,” Steve said.

Steve explained how Jim recognised the fact that men don’t talk about their problems the same way women do and that a support group was a good way for bringing men together.

Primarily the group was set up for men with prostate cancer but, thanks to Jim’s leadership it has opened its doors to people with any type of cancer.

The group raises money for prostate cancer research but also provides financial support to those in town with fuel and food vouchers, and even a ride down to Newcastle for treatment if needed. 

Jim was working on getting the awareness out to the young men in town that they need to be checked for prostate cancer from as young as 40 years old.

“Jimmy’s legacy is bringing cancer awareness to the younger people and the support of the older ones; not just men,” Steve said.

Jim was the president of the group from inception until last year when he handed the reins over to Steve.

“Right up until Christmas, Jim was still going around with me handing out vouchers,” Steve said.

Gloucester Prostate Support Group meets on the last Thursday of the month at the CWA Rooms at 6.30pm