Tributes paid to former Orange real estate agent who worked for member for Calare John Cobb

John McDonald died on Saturday, March 25 at the age of 74.

His niece, Sonia Williamson-Bayada, said he was "always a constant" within their family.

"He was very reliable and stable and a great giver of advice if we ever needed help," she said.

"He was kind, caring, generous, witty, honest, funny, a gentleman and always true to his word. He always wanted to do things right.

"He was always the optimist and would make the best of any situation. He never had any regrets and was always determined to do the best that he could with everything."

Born on January 1, 1949 in Annandale, his family moved to Millthorpe in 1956.

Growing up, Mr McDonald attended Orange High School from 1961 to 1963, before getting his first job at the age of 15 as a bank teller with CBC - now NAB.

After leaving the bank, he got a job at Orange City Council as a rates clerk for two years and in 1972, would marry his wife of 50 years, Moina McDonald.

The pair moved down to the south coast for three years, before they arrived back in Orange where they would reside until 2017.

After the couple moved back to town, it was then that Mr McDonald began work in the real estate sector.

During the next 30 years he would work for Williams Machin, McCarron Cullinane and finally Richardson and Wrench. For nine years during this time, Mr McDonald also taught the real estate course at Orange Tafe.

During the majority of those three decades, he was a member of the Roland Gregory Orpheus Singers where he took on the role of treasurer and president.

He left real estate in 2007 and got a job working for former member for Calare, John Cobb, as an electorate officer.

"I talked to him not too long ago and he was telling me that the job he did with John Cobb was the best job he'd ever had," Mr McDonald's niece added.

"He found it fascinating. He was able to help people and that's what he really enjoyed doing."

In 2014, Mr McDonald retired and three years later, he and his wife moved to Tasmania where he spent the remainder of his life.

"He always had a story for every occasion, he was a great speaker and had a fantastic memory for details," Mrs Williamson-Bayada added.

"There were always stories and they were always funny."

He was a father to Ian, Kate and Sarah, father-in-law to Debbie, Vivek and Dan and grandfather to Ivy, Riley and Elliott.

A funeral service will be held at St Clements Anglican Church, Kingston Tasmania on Monday, April 3 at 1:30pm.

For relatives and friends who would like to attend via livestream, details will be available on the website for Turnbull Funerals North Hobart.

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