![Paul Haysom proudly showing off a Lions Club badge in September, 2009, when he was preparing to volunteer as a marshal for the Edgell Jog. Picture by Zenio Lapka Paul Haysom proudly showing off a Lions Club badge in September, 2009, when he was preparing to volunteer as a marshal for the Edgell Jog. Picture by Zenio Lapka](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/gfyFBZ2A3aREPWrpf4KzA3/c5312f00-0bb7-4dd5-9b5d-cdef08c5b74a.JPG/r0_0_2008_3076_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"Now, if I could just say ..."
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If you knew Paul Haysom, that was a phrase you'd hear quite often from the opinionated gentle giant with a heart of gold.
At six foot, eight inches, he was a hard man to miss, and the same could be said about his approach to life as well.
He was always involved in some group or organisation, right from his early days in Bathurst.
While he spent most of his life in the regional NSW city, Mr Haysom was actually born in Carlton, Victoria on November 22, 1949 as the second son of the four Haysom boys.
Medically, he had a difficult childhood.
Not only did he become legally blind in one eye as a child, but he contracted polio in the 1950s, which stopped him from going to school up until he was about eight years old.
Starting later meant school wasn't a very enjoyable place for him, and so when he turned 14 and 11 months - the threshold to leave school - he was out the door and off to work with an uncle in the printing business.
He later moved to Sydney and got a job with the Central Mapping Authority (CMA).
There was a period of decentralisation in the 1970s that led to the mapping branch of the lands title office being transferred to Bathurst, bringing with it hundreds of people.
Mr Haysom, who was in his mid 20s at the time, was among them.
He thought it would be a great adventure, and likely had no idea that would be where he would find the love of his life.
Judy, who was a single mother of two children, first came across Mr Haysom in 1982 when her son was playing on an under 14s baseball team.
Mr Haysom was an umpire and, at his great height, stood out amongst the sea of young children.
Their paths crossed again when she was working at the CMA, but they didn't officially meet until a Christmas party hosted by two people they worked with.
It wasn't until the 1990s, though, that they became a couple.
By this time, Mr Haysom had become alderman with Bathurst City Council, and it was this and his other community involvement that had stood out to the woman who would become Mrs Haysom.
"He was this fellow who was obviously single, involved with kids through the baseball, and I knew he was involved with local government as an alderman, as they were called in those days, and that impressed me because my father was an alderman in Sydney, and so I knew what went into being that sort of a person, and that was it," she said with a laugh.
It took a little while for Mr Haysom to propose, but it finally happened over dinner while they were away on a holiday in Yamba.
"He sort of proposed and I said, 'Well, you'll have to ask my father', so we got on the phone up in Yamba to talk to my dad and my dad said, 'Yeah, go ahead, but you're paying for it'," Mrs Haysom said.
They wed on April 23, 1995 at the Bathurst Function and Convention Centre, surrounded by 80 friends and family members.
![Paul Haysom on his wedding day in 1995. Picture supplied Paul Haysom on his wedding day in 1995. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/gfyFBZ2A3aREPWrpf4KzA3/3eed4f1e-2c05-4956-8224-56a865d3de9f.JPG/r0_0_1780_2601_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The couple never had children together, but Mr Haysom took to being a stepfather very easily and absolutely adored the grandchildren and great grandchildren that followed.
Just as much as he was a family man, Mr Haysom was a community man.
Serving on local council was a big part of that, as it gave him a way to give back to Bathurst after the opportunities the regional city had given to him.
"He wanted to have a part in making it what it is," Mrs Haysom said.
In addition to council, he was the driving force behind many community organisations, with the Lions Club being at the top of the list.
Whenever the monthly Farmers Markets were on, you could expect to find him down at Bathurst Showground from as early as 6am.
He would be working the gates or talking with stallholders to make sure the morning ran smoothly, still doing that up until he was hospitalised in late 2022.
The Labor Party was also a big passion for Mr Haysom, who was actually presented with a life membership to the political party by Julia Gillard at one of the annual Light on the Hill dinners.
His affinity with the party began at age 15 when he attended his first Labor Party meeting in Victoria with his grandfather, and his involvement continued throughout the rest of his life.
Bathurst Community Transport was another organisation Mr Haysom was deeply involved with and passionate about.
His association spanned 44 years, with Mr Haysom present at the meeting to establish the service and going on to serve as a board member for the more than four decades that followed.
The list of other organisations Mr Haysom was part of included The Neighbourhood Centre, the Seymour Centre, the Bathurst Regional Access Committee, the sports council, and the health council at the public hospital.
He was also named a Bathurst Living Legend.
His dedication to the Bathurst community was so immense that, just days before his death, he was named the Senior Volunteer of the Year and the Volunteer of the Year for the Central West at the Centre for Volunteering Awards.
Mr Haysom remained active in his community until his health declined to the point that he had to move into Macquarie Care in April, 2023.
Mr Haysom died peacefully in Bathurst Hospital as a result of sepsis on September 29, 2023. He was 73.
His beloved wife was there by his side.
![Paul Haysom pictured with his granddaughter, Holly, when she was a baby. Picture supplied Paul Haysom pictured with his granddaughter, Holly, when she was a baby. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/gfyFBZ2A3aREPWrpf4KzA3/4698a899-446e-4fb5-9859-c1a3af0a46b1.JPG/r0_334_5568_3712_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
He is being fondly remembered as a stepdad by David and Cathy, and Helen, a grandfather by Jakob and Angela, Bethany and John, Jessica, Emily and Holly, and as "Poppy Paul" by Alana and Blakely, and Jayden and Leo.
He was brother to John, Ross and Leigh.
A celebration of Mr Haysom's life will be held at Bathurst Panther's Club in the sports bar at 2pm on Friday, November 17, 2023.
Members of the community who want to reflect on his life are welcome to attend.
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