Bob Garvin died on Sunday, May 8 at the age of 80.

Mr Garvin moved to Orange with wife Julianne in 1970, where he immediately started working at the Orange Veterinarian Hospital.

Together with Andrew Hansen the pair bought the business later that decade and that is where Mr Garvin would work until his retirement in 2006.

His daughter, Jenianne Hall, said he had a love for animals, both big and small.

"One of the vets dad worked with told us that there was no job was too big or too small, if an animal needed a complex surgery, he would research it. Equally for cage cleaning, dad would get stuck in and do that as well," she said.

"He developed his vet skills at a time where there were no fancy machines that went 'bing', no in-house labs, no ultrasound machines, so he had to rely on his eyes and ears."

But it wasn't just animals for whom Mr Garvin connected with so well.

"He and mum had a really strong relationship and good values, he just showed what it was like to be a good husband, father and person," Mrs Hall said.

"We had someone say to us that he was genuinely interested in people, their story and what they were about.

"It wasn't just tokenistic, he genuinely loved to hear people's stories. He was a very well regarded vet, gentle with animals and good with their owners."

But Mr Garvin won't just be remembered for his work as a vet. After he retired in 2006, he decided to volunteer his time with Orange's Legacy group.

"He loved Legacy and he really got a lot of joy out of working with, especially widows," Mrs Hall added.

"Helping them with everything, from filling out forms to getting the support they were entitled to, mowing their lawns to just sitting down and having a cup of tea with them."

A statement issued by Orange Vet Hospital said he would be "missed by many."

"A constant thought at OVH that persists to this day is to continue the legacy and standards that were created. He enriched our lives and he left the world a better place," it read.

A funeral service for Mr Garvin will be held on Friday, May 13 at 1.30pm at Holy Trinity Church.

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