Since Pete has died, he has received recognition like I never could have imagined.
I am constantly blown away by how much people thought of him.
I knew he was a good bloke. We loved him as a friend and husband and father. I knew he was generous with his time to others. He was willing to help people learn. He was a willing learner from others. He shared his passions with anyone who would listen. He got involved with all of the things he felt passionate about or our kids were passionate about.
What I didn’t realise was how much people really valued that.
He didn’t ever give of his time expecting thanks in return. He was happy to help people out. He had a passion for young people learning the ropes in industries he knew about. He remembered how much he appreciated people teaching him, so he was happy to help teach others. He had been on committees organising things for as long as he can remember because if you wanted something to happen, someone has to organise it.
He has tales for years and years gone by being on B&S committees in Hay and Jerilderie. I have a suitcase full of Canterbury jumpers embroidered with event logos with 'committee member' under them to remind us.
He genuinely enjoyed giving time to things he enjoyed to see them continue or be better.
Once we had kids, it sent me bonkers sometimes how much it took him away from us.
When he just needed to be at a regional show for a couple of hours he would often allocate an entire day – leaving early and coming home late – because he had held someone’s sheep for them, helped them brush cattle, carried water for someone’s horse, caught up with someone he hadn’t seen since last year’s show.
When he was expected to just be at an industry event for a day or two, technically out of his region, he’d take four days and stay the whole time and help assess scholarship winners, auction off items for youth groups, set up pens, take down signage …
When he could have been sitting in the warmth of home, he was standing outside in the rain cheering on a club team who just needed some moral and actual support, or mustering and tagging sheep into the night because the job needed to be done so a trial could continue.
Knowing this, I knew he could be relied upon to support anything I was involved with, too. Setting up, packing up, being there helping me in the community things I was involved with. In those instances, the kids just had to come along for the ride. He did his things for other people, and then he gave more time to help me do the things I was doing.
At my most selfish, I would question his over-commitment to these things because of the time it took - Did he really need to do all of those things? Did they realise how much time it took away from his family?
Turns out, those people did. They appreciated every hour and day he gave them.
They valued his time and his support. They miss his company at their events more than what they miss his actions.
Since Pete died, the outpouring of grief from people he had a connection with has been astounding. We have
I have berated myself about the times I lamented his absence because clearly these people did value him and his time.
Because now there is an ongoing legacy in a number of places for his children to see what sort of an impact their Dad had.
The Murray Grey Beef Cattle Society has a youth award named in his honour, acknowledging ‘herdmanship’ in an up and coming member. Not the one who is the best or most successful, but the one who puts in the most, tries the hardest, seeks to learn and improve.
The Bendigo Elite Suffolk Show and Sale has its supreme exhibit named in his honour. His former employers, Zoetis, donate $1500 worth of product to the winner.
The Demons Hockey Club now has the Pete Mecham Trophy for the senior best and fairest player.
We can only be grateful that these people valued him as much as we did.
It’s been a tough first year negotiating life without him, and more than one person has suggested that these types of things popping up make it hard to move on.
But I won’t ever say no to them, because while it is hard for us to live without him, we are not the only ones living without him.
He was loved and valued by so many people and if they want to remember and acknowledge him, then that’s only a good thing.
And going forward, it’s a legacy for our children to see what a good, community-minded, generous, person he was.
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