ROD Richardson was as much a Tamworth institution as the iconic Post Office building he played his turquoise piano accordion beside.
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While the music that perfectly accompanied Peel Street has fallen silent, the memory of Mr Richardson as a kind, friendly and charitable man lives on after he passed away due to a massive stroke this month.
What the community may not know is that Mr Richardson went by many names; Rod, Booie, Young Rod and Dad to his nine children.
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His daughter Felicity Thambyah said she never heard him say a bad word about anyone.
"He was very charismatic and he would talk to anyone," she said.
"I'm blown away, I had no idea how many people's hearts he had touched ... I had no idea that many people had come in contact with him, I feel very proud. "
Born in 1948 in Balmain Hospital, he was the first child of four and moved to Tamworth when he was just six months old, where his father worked as a doctor.
The family lived at the surgery until he was two years old, and back then with limited space a young Mr Richardson would sleep in the bath tub.
At 11, he won a scholarship to The Armidale School for boys and went on to study medicine and arts at university until he took at job at Bective Station stripping wheat.
Later in life he started a Commonwealth serum laboratory cadetship, where he met the love of his life, Jane.
"We were married in October 1982 and had our first baby a year later," she said.
Mr Richardson was musically gifted, and took to the trumpet, trombone, french horn, piano accordion, harmonica, piano and cornet.
He was a member of the Canberra Choral Society for 25 years and was heavily involved in the Tamworth Choral Society, Philharmonic Society and played the organ at church.
Another of Mr Richardson's children Stephanie Fernando said her father was regularly involved with the Tamworth Musical Society on stage as an actor and in the orchestra pit as a trumpeter.
"For one season he baked scones for the entire cast and crew for every show," she said.
The day Mr Richardson passed away he was doing what he loved, he did what he called a "shift" busking in the morning and afternoon, and came home to bake three loaves of bread in between - which he would always share with neighbours and friends.
In hospital, Mr Richardson was surrounded by his family who sang Amazing Grace in harmony before his wife played him his wedding waltz as he peacefully passed away.