I told him the simple truth, I had been out of the loop for 22 years but I promised to write a piece about our old mate.

Wahoo would have enjoyed his wake.

Wauchope RSL was overflowing as family, relatives and busloads of friends gathered to celebrate his life, especially the time spent in the company of his mates.

Swaddie and me! We were richer for the days we spent with Wahoo.

I first became acquainted with Eric Waldron when he started coming to Beechwood footy games in the Hastings League usually in the company of his older brothers Kevin and Daryl, who were team mates of mine.

We were mates for the 60 years that followed. In those days, he was a skinny kid who eventually graduated to Wauchope under 18's as a winger.

We became team mates at Beechwood as the years evolved.

When his flare and personality made it obvious he could be a good administrator, I introduced him to the committee of the footy club. He first took on the secretary job and older and wiser became a long serving president.

His services to others, on top of getting people's smashed vehicles back on the road for them, went on to reach greater heights.

As well as rugby league, surfing, boxing and gymnastics enjoyed his considerable input as a fraternity member.

His marriage to Esme Gillan was a great party.

Together they ran the successful smash repairs business on Beechwood Road, before taking on Beechwood post office.

Wahoo also ran his successful Murrumbidgee Wines distribution with some success.

In time the Waldrons built a new residence in Beechwood where the door was always open and were blessed with twin daughters they named Linda and Shannon who were born in Port in 1975.

The evening after their arrival, Wahoo and I visited his wife and mother of their two new kids.

It was after hours but he easily charmed his way to her bedside.

We had the best bottle of champagne money could buy locally and three crystal flutes from my place. It was a great night to be his mate.

Like his family members and the constant stream of people to visit him at the Wauchope Hospital as his life was being taken, I was deeply and emotionally saddened at his appearance.

In spirit he was still full of life. His long term memory was giving him strength.

During my first visit to see him on the hill I was with Colin Newton.

"Remember the soup?" he was saying to me.

"Remember the soup?"

He was of course referring to a visit the three of us made together to the Port drive-in theatre.

I forgot the movie but surely it was a must see. Why? It was the middle of winter.

Looseman was sitting in the back. Wahoo and I were in the front.

To keep warm we were passing between us a brown paper bag from which we were taking some long pulls.

It eventually got the best of Looseman, some years Wahoo's junior and even more so mine.

"It is soup," was the information offered by Wahoo.

"Would you like some?"

To which Looseman readily agreed.

As he immediately discovered it was actually Rosetto's brown muscat!

During his lifetime he offered countless hours of service to others. He held multiple life memberships and community awards, each one a testimonial in itself.

That is why the Anglican Church in Wauchope was filled to overflowing for his memorial service.

Besides death, one thing beat Eric Waldron. He could not play cricket. Believe me, I know. I tried, to no avail, to teach him.

He won't mind me saying this. And so, I use cricket parlay when I say about his life with us.

He batted well!

And is the scales of justice in the Hereafter are weighing correctly, he will be curling his moe; if he is growing one.