Beloved community figure "Dawn" Dorothy Dalkin passed away on Friday, June 11.
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Ms Dalkin was born in Ararat in 1931 and lived around the region most of her life, and was central to the town's music and arts scene.
Ms Dalkin was a life member of the Ararat Musical and Comedy Society due to her contribution to the group.
Ararat Musical Comedy Society president Rennie Hannan said Ms Dalkin was a great presence in the society.
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"She was a lovely and warm-hearted lady," she said.
"She will be sadly missed."
Ms Dalkin was one of the society's inaugural members and featured in its first production, playing Aunt Eller in the society's 1974 rendition of Oklahoma!.
This would be the first of 18 productions Ms Dalkin was involved with through the society, with the final one being Guys and Dolls in 2002. She acted as musical director for this productions, as she did on five other occasions for the society.
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Ms Dalkin also played the piano in the orchestra for six productions.
Ms Dalkin was similarly an integral member of the Ararat Eisteddfod.
She served on the committee from 1987 to 2006 and continued volunteering until 2010.
She received a Recognition of Service certificate in 2005 when the Ararat Eisteddfod Committee held a Gala to celebrate its 50th year.
Ararat Eisteddfod secretary Chris Harris said Ms Dalkin was a dedicated volunteer.
"She was always around to help people," Ms Harris said.
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"She loved music and played piano herself."
Ms Dawkins musical skills were also well known to parishioners at St Andrew's Uniting Church, where she played the organ for more than three decades, only stopping when she was aged 85.
Ms Hannan said Ms Dawkin was "refreshing" in the way "she called a spade a spade".
Such was evident in 2017 when speaking to the Ararat Advertiser, Ms Dawkin described in her own words why she had stopped playing the organ.
"From the neck up, she's OK, but from the neck down, she's gone to the dogs!"
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For several years Ms Dawkin also played the keyboard at the Hopkins Correctional Centre.
Those who were not fortunate enough to enjoy Ms Dalkin's music may have instead appreciated her skills as a chef.
Ms Dalkin helped instigate St Andrew's Uniting Church's annual Christmas Pudding Bake and regularly sold her jam and tomato sauce at the annual fete.
Ms Dalkin is survived by her children Brett, Peter, Robyn, Christopher and Matthew, and her bother, Henry.
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