Riverland community in mourning after ‘respected’ chairman dies

A community has paid tribute to a popular and much-loved former chairman of a Riverland business.

Friends and family remember Toby Francombe as a "well liked and respected" member of the Waikerie community. Picture: Facebook

A former chairman of a Riverland community business has been remembered as “well liked and respected” by his friends and relatives.

A community is in mourning after father and former Waikerie Community Club chairman, Toby Francombe, 60, died over Easter.

Waikerie Community Club chairman Joel Sheehan remembered his friend as someone who “turned around the fortunes” of the organisation.

“He was pretty well liked and respected,” he said.

“He was involved in a lot of things and he was a likeable bloke.”

Mr Sheehan said Mr Francombe had a love of cars and ran his own mechanic business “for a lot of years”.

At the time of his death he was working at a Riverland Toyota dealership.

“He was heavily involved in the sport of off-road racing.”

Friends and family remember Toby Francombe as a "well liked and respected" member of the Waikerie community. Picture: Facebook

The current community club chairman recalled how Mr Francombe brought the business back from the brink of financial ruin.

“He came onto the board when the club wasn’t in a good financial position.

“Toby came back onto the board and he took on the chairman reigns and turned around the fortunes of the club.”

A post made by the Waikerie Community Club heralded the “great leadership and strong business acumen” of Mr Francombe.

“Toby’s contribution to the Waikerie Club was huge,” the Facebook post said.

“He was a great mate to all of us and will be sadly missed.

“We will raise a glass or two and toast a life lost too soon but lived very well.”

Mr Francombe spent a total of 15 years on the board of the community club and was chairman for nine of them.

Mr Sheehan said he was a “great community minded guy”.

Mr Francombe, died in his sleep.