Mr Rosengreen started at Ararat 800 Primary School at four and a half years-of-age and, throughout his primary school years, he was always one of the youngest in his class. The family lived in Barkly Street.

He had a sister, Elizabeth (known as Betty), who was the years younger than Mr Rosengreen and he also grew up with Daryl Graham, whom the family had taken in at the age of six months.

Mr Rosengreen grew up loving the bush, and his father would take him rabbiting, fishing and cutting wood.

Mr Rosengreen started High school at the age of 10 but after two months, he had a severe bicycle accident in which he fractured his skull, and he missed the remainder of the year.

While at school he worked every day after school at his Uncle's grocery shop. He went on to finish his schooling and matriculated at the age of 17 years.

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Due to shortages of teachers during the war, he became a student-teacher at 17 and was sent to Beaufort where he taught Preps and Grade Three - he also taught at the Beaufort High School when they needed a French teacher.

He was employed at Mininera East and boarded with Eric and Joyce Hill. One of his pupils was Robin Phillips who became Robin Wilcock and a lifetime friend of Mr Rosengreen's.

He left the Education Department in 1947 to go working in various jobs including pick and shovel work for the Ararat Shire, some surveying and then ended up at the Shell Depot where he worked for six years as a storeman and packer.

In 1948 he met Stella Joyce Taylor from Stawell and she would become his wife. After a short courtship, they were married on March 25, 1949. They honeymooned in Melbourne and stayed at the Prince of Wales Hotel.

Family circumstances led Mr Rosengreen to Teacher's College in Melbourne in 1953. He graduated in 12 months and his first teaching job was at Ararat West PS.

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He then taught at Bayendeen as headteacher for six years, then at Ararat West PS for eight years where and had one class for four years. He then went on to teach at the Ararat Prison for 20 years, only retiring in 1987.

He built a house for his family next door to where he had grown up, at 358 Barkly Street, with help from his father and a carpenter.

Mr Rosengreen and Stella went on to have four children - Christine, Jeannette, David and Ivan.

He had a truly outstanding record of community involvement in Ararat.

David served nine years on Ararat council and two years as Mayor.

Stella ran the Rosengreen School of Dancing and Mr Rosengreen assisted her with scenery, painting backdrops or whatever else was needed. He also helped her to teach Ballroom Dancing for a short time.

The Rosengreen family received a certificate from the Ararat Council in 1990 for 40 years of tireless work in the community, contributing valuable funds from the proceeds of the annual dance concert, they had in the early years.

Mr Rosengreen was a member of many clubs and volunteer groups in the region. He was awarded life membership at the Langi Morgala Museum, Ararat Football Club, Ararat and District Junior Football Association, Ararat Mechanics Institute and the Ararat Eisteddfod Committee.

Somehow, in addition to his family, work and voluntary commitments, Mr Rosengreen also found the time to pursue several leisure interests.

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He loved horse racing and was a bookies clerk for 10 years. He also loved boxing.

In 1946 he caught the train to Melbourne to see Bernborough run and then to watch a boxing match between the Alabama Kid and Jack Johnson. After the match, he jumped on his pushbike and rode it home to Ararat.

Mr Rosengreen played the guitar and mouth organ and loved country and western music. Another passion was his motorbike which he loved to ride. He rode in 10 Rides to Remember.

Mr Rosengreen loved to read and his favourite book was The Bible. Those who knew him were amazed at his recall of Biblical passages which he knew as well as, if not better than, any Minister of Religion.

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He also appreciated the works of Shakespeare and Henry Lawson.

After Stella's passing, Mr Rosengreen continued to manage independently at home, even though he was virtually blind for the last three years of his life.

Family support allowed him to live at home until the end of 2020 when he moved into care. Mr Rosengreen had finally run his marathon race and he passed away quietly on February 13.

- Tribute compiled by Christine Carey and the Rosengreen family with assistance from Kevin Dallinger