LOCAL rugby has lost one of its most well known and respected figures after Peter Aird passed away on Thursday morning.
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The former Dubbo Kangaroos player and coach had been battling poor health since being diagnosed with cancer in February of last year but was in attendance at the Dubbo Rugby Clubhouse last November when he was honoured with life membership to the club he loved.
Aird arrived in Dubbo in 1979 and went on to have great involvement in the community through his work as a school teacher and his passion for sport.
Growing up in a rugby league environment at Forbes, Aird came to Dubbo to take on a teacher's position at Dubbo Central and while he was originally set to play league for Macquarie he met a few Kangaroos players over a drink one afternoon and the rest as they say, is history.
As a strong and uncompromising prop, Aird played close to 10 years for the Kangaroos and on more than one occasion was known to back up and play all three grades in a day.
As the end of his playing days approached Aird began to take on a coaching role with the club and was captain-coach of the second grade side for two seasons before returning to coach the Colts in 2000 and the second graders again in 2001.
In between his coaching roles with the senior sides he coached a number of 'Roos junior teams and won the under-15s and under-17s premierships in 1996 and 1998 respectively.
Aird announced his retirement from teaching last year after a career which saw him teach or hold executive positions at all of Dubbo's public schools while he also spent time at Ballimore and Wellington.
He served time as the president of the Dubbo Primary Schools Sports Association while he also spent time on the executive for the Western School Sports Association.
As well as an involved administrator, Aird kept himself active by taking part in local swimming, tennis and weightlifting while he was also a regular at the gym and an A grade squash player.
Aged 60, Aird passed away at Holy Spirit nursing home and is survived by his wife Judy and his four sons, Michael, Simon, Daniel and Matthew.
The Dubbo Kangaroos have offered to hold a minute of silence for Aird before today's Blowes Clothing Cup match with Orange City while both sides will wear black arm bands to honour the memory of the man who gave so much to the local community.
A celebration of his life will also be held on Wednesday April 16 at Club Dubbo, beginning at 3pm with the family inviting all friends of Peter's to attend.