Born on September 26, 1926, in Melbourne, Raymond Blizzard was hardened with a tough childhood through the grips of The Great Depression.

His son, Neil Blizzard, said this upbringing shaped him into the man he was to become.

"He grew up through the depression and that taught him lessons about what he didn't want in life and made him a lot more determined," he said.

"He became very determined to achieve things and he was incredible at getting things done. He did so many things for the community and for people."

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While in Melbourne, Mr Blizzard completed his training as an optometrist. When completed, he and his wife of well over 60 years, Lois, looked for their next step.

"When he finally qualified they were looking for somewhere to come and have a family," Neil said.

"They looked at a lot of different places, there was quite a few different places, and they settled on Ararat.

"He started practicing in Ararat above where the shop is now in the upstairs rooms and he was teaching Maths and Science at the same time to make ends meet."

Upon settling in Ararat they were to have two sons, with Neil and Ian leading to five grandchildren.

It was in Ararat where the Blizzard's found their place and raised their family.

His time in Ararat will leave an "enormous legacy" with Mr Blizzard being involved in the community in almost every way possible.

"It would be hard to say what he wasn't involved with in Ararat," Neil said.

"His legacy in Ararat, it is hard for me to say, but it is how he has touched everybody.

"He was always there to help people out and he did end up with a successful business, but he had to learn all of that himself

"He loved hard workers and honest people."

Within Ararat, Mr Blizzard was involved with around 180 different organisations including the Grampians Cricket Association, the Ararat squash community, the Ararat Show committee and the old Ararat Technical School.

He was also Mayor of Ararat six times and was one of the youngest mayors in Australia at the time.

Mr Blizzard also made a foray into federal politics running as a Labor candidate as part of Goff Whitlam's "It's Time" campaign, where he lost narrowly on preferences.

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Alongside these community commitments he was also establishing one of the biggest optometry networks in Australia with stores open in Horsham, Stawell, Ararat, Collins Street, St Albans, Beaufort, Warracknabeal, St Arnaud, Donald and Charlton.

He also loved his sport, dogs, cars, wine and fine art as well as chickens, which led him to claim prizes at the Royal Melbourne and Royal Sydney shows.

And he also loved his family.

"He was an incredibly hard task master," Neil said.

"That was his upbringing and there's so many funny things. I played a bit of cricket and one day I made 94 and all he could do was say 'you let 100 go there'.

"So the next week I made 160 and he walks past and goes 'you let 200 go today'.

"He has just taught us, and taught me, that if you're honest and you work hard then what happens happens from there on.

"He is going to leave an enormous legacy in different ways on different things."

Mr Blizzard has also had a major impact on his grand daughter Sarah, who has set her sights on competing in the 2022 Winter Olympics.

"He has had an incredible impact on my daughter," Neil said. "She has done incredibly well, with his backing and advice.

"Dad saw so much of my mother in Sarah and she got that determination through him. To strive, and strive and to push."

The family will hold a small, private, funeral service on Friday August 6, at Guyetts Funerals in Warnambool from 4pm.

There will be a live link to the service for the people who knew him. And in organising the service, the family have a lasting impression of the man he was.

"This is how he was and how organised," Neil said.

"We went in there to organise this funeral, but he had already been in, three months after mum had past and organised everything

"And he said to the lady, 'the ceremony will go for an hour' and she said 'they usually go for around an hour'.

"And he said 'no it will be an hour' and so she was laughing about this bloke who had come in and given her all the rules and regulations."

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