John Newton gave 58 years of service to the Blaxland Brigade of the Rural Fire Service, whose members rightly provided a guard of honour at his funeral at Leura Memorial Gardens on October 20.
Mr Newton, 83, a Mt Riverview resident, died on October 12 after a four-year battle against cancer.
Mr Newton was one of the 17 founding members of the brigade when it re-formed in May 1958 - six months after the tragic fires that swept through Leura and Wentworth Falls. The sole survivor is now Alan Carruthers.
Mr Newton’s membership of the Springwood RSL Sub-branch and the National Service Association was also marked by a guard of honour of these “old soldiers”.
He also served in the Citizens Military forces with the 30th Battalion of the NSW Scottish Regiment, and joined the NSW Scottish Regiment Association.
Mr Newton and his bride Gloria (nee Stokes) moved to the Blue Mountains in 1958 and set about building a home in Bellereeve Avenue, on the block of land that cost the couple 65 pounds.
In 1968 fires again ravaged the Mountains community. The Newtons’ home burnt to the ground as Mr Newton and the brigade crew worked to stop the destruction of the local school.
They rebuilt on the site and from there maintained a level of community service and involvement that included the Lower Mountains Neighbourhood Centre, community transport, Legacy and, through the RSL, the schools Anzac commemoration program.
Mrs Newton died in 1995 – also after a long battle with cancer. During her illness she required a large number of blood transfusions and, at one time, it had been feared insufficient plasma would be available. So Mr Newton asked his brigade mates for help - they rallied and provided the number of blood donations required.
In remembrance of his wife, Mr Newton established the “Brigades Blood Donor Shield”, a competition between local units for the most number of donations made to the Blood Bank.
In the last 20 years, Mr Newton devoted much of his time to the community, particularly in providing transport for the elderly for medical treatment.