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Cecil Hyde was on Monday laid to rest following a wonderful celebration of his life at the Innes Gardens Chapel.
He was aged 75 years.
With son Paul addressing the packed chapel on behalf of the family, his siblings, Wayne and Kerrie-Ann provided poems of their own to add to the moving service.
Fittingly the doyen of the commercial fishing industry on the Mid-North Coast was farewelled in a casket bearing the logo of his beloved Hastings River Fishermen’s Co-operative Ltd and a photo of his wife of 52 years Pam.
Following the chapel service, Cecil’s casket was delivered to the graveside on the back of his beloved fishing boat with family members onboard.
It was a wonderful example of Cecil’s love of fishing and family, his daughter Kerrie-Ann said.
The poem Gone Fishin’ was also read out by celebrant Kerry Medway.
Cecil was born on the Hastings and quickly became part of the fishing culture of the day and followed his father into the co-operative.
He was to become its longest serving chairman with Paul following him as the chairman prior to its closure in 2016.
Pam was just 15 years of age when they met – Cecil was 19 – and they enjoyed a four year courtship before marrying in October 1964.
The Hyde name is synonymous with the commercial fishing industry and stretches back five generations.
While fishing was Cecil’s prime source of income, he also cleared timber where the canals development now stands. He also cleared timber on the Comboyne plateau and managed a property rearing Bradford and Brahman cows.
Along with Ross Dobson, Cecil identified acid sulphate as being a major source of polluting the Hastings River and killing off its fish. He was part of a government-run initiative Auscarp and regularly travelled through NSW and Victoria clearing carp from dams, ponds and river systems.
He was also politically connected and was a life time member of The Nationals and was considered active in politics.
Cecil and Pam raised three children, Wayne, Paul and Kerrie-Anne. There are four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.