Last week, Pakenham mourned the passing of local legend Kelvin “Lefty” Rees, best known as Main Street’s loyal sweeper.
A funeral service was held on Thursday 11 December at David W Bull Family Funerals for Mr Rees, who died on Monday 10 November.
He leaves many fond memories for the people of Pakenham from his years of service.
“It’s almost impossible to think of Main Street without Lefty and his broom,” celebrant Ernest Rigby said.
Mr Rees was born in Melbourne on 24 August 1941.
Affectionately known as “Lefty,” the one-armed man resided along Main Street, where he made daily trips to sweep the town centre and chat with locals.
He lost his arm in a car accident in 1989. Despite the loss, he turned his misfortune into service to the community.
Rain, hail or shine, Mr Rees was always seen cleaning up Pakenham.
His daughter, Joanne Rees, now lives in Queensland and was fortunate to see him one last time in October.
She remembered her father as a man who could not sit still.
“He couldn’t work anymore, but he couldn’t sit still either, so that was the whole reason he started cleaning the streets,” she said.
“It gave him a purpose and he loved every minute of it.”
He was sorely missed in town after he was struck by a bike rider in 2019 while sweeping at Pakenham Place Shopping Centre, an incident that left him fighting for his life.
An outpouring of support came from the community during this time, with residents raising money to support recovery efforts for the kind-hearted man.
Mr Rees survived his severe injuries but later required full-time care, which was provided at Millhaven Lodge.
“My dad was a pretty amazing bloke for what he had gone through,” Ms Rees said.
“He had to be doing something and he was totally harmless to anyone.”
For many years after, his wife Karen and daughter Kelly were often asked around town about Mr Rees and how he was going.
Though he could not make it down to Main Street, his sweeping days were far from over.
At Millhaven, he was known for always sweeping around the facility in his wheelchair.
Despite his injuries, Mr Rees remained sharp with his quips, particularly during visits back home.
The service was followed by a private cremation.
