Today the racing industry is mourning the loss of Deane Lester, aged 54.
'Deano', as he was known by many, was a generous man and a larger-than-life character who gained a cult following in racing.
Deane always gave his time for a good cause. He assisted the Make-A-Wish Foundation fundraising we did locally on REGFM with his tips and time some years ago.
Born with Spina Bifida, in his younger days he was very talented in his chosen junior sports, before requiring a mobility scooter in 2002.
Kidney problems also caused Deane to have regular dialysis multiple times each week and had back problems that required surgery, but never a whinge.
I called him last year when he was recovering from back surgery and all he said was "it was a bit unpleasant", then back to racing and politics.
Our friendship formed in my period as publicity officer for Gippsland Racing for 10 years when we would often find ourselves on course together, and then later as Shadow Minister for Racing.
He never wasted a word with waffle and could express his thoughts verbally better than anyone.
Deano was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer just weeks ago and his sudden death has come as a shock to all who knew him.
My thoughts are with his family, friends and anyone in the racing community who was fortunate enough to know Deano.
May he rest in peace.
