'Truly one of the kindest people': Heartbroken fiancee pays tribute to love of her life

Damien Conlon was many things to many people, and on Thursday, they will come together to celebrate a life lived full but cut short by tragedy.

Mr Conlon died in Oberon on February 9 following an alleged shooting.

His partner of three years, fiancée, and mother to his children, Linda Simon, said while her world has been shattered, she knows Mr Conlon will be remembered for his kind and generous spirit, and is drawing the courage to keep going from the couple's children.

"They have been my strength," she said. "They have kept me going."

And she said she knows Mr Conlon wouldn't want her to be still.

"He was one always on the move and full of life and I know full well he wouldn't want me just sitting around.

"He'd tell me 'Linda, you've got a job to do'.

"You've got babies, so get up and raise these babies."

She described Mr Conlon, originally from Ireland, as a doting father and loving partner.

A carpenter by trade, he came to Australia on a working holiday and fell in love with the country - and, ultimately, a country girl.

"He came on a holiday thing and decided 'no, I'm in love with Australia' and stayed," Ms Simon said.

She said Mr Conlon initially came to Sydney.

"He was in Perth a bit and also travelled all around, but he was mainly in Sydney."

The couple met just over three years ago after one of Ms Simon's friends told her to try online dating.

"After we met, he decided ... that was it, he was coming up here [to Bathurst]," Ms Simon said.

She laughed recalling how fate brought them together.

"A friend of mine convinced me that online dating was the way to go. We came across each other even though we both said [to meet potential dates] within a 50-kilometre radius.

"But obviously the algorithm had other ideas and put us together."

Ms Simon said Mr Conlon was an amazing father to both their boys and her two children from a previous relationship.

"As a dad, he was the sort of dad who was kind, attentive and patient.

"He loved playing with the kids and loved involving them with woodwork and things like that.

"He was just really genuinely very attentive and a doting father."

She said he had a sense of humour second to none.

"He was absolutely the funniest guy, always having a laugh. He would do things to make you laugh - always pulling silly pranks.

"There will be so much about him that will be missed.

"One of his favourite [pranks] was jump scares; he'd hide behind a door or something and then jump out at you."

And while Mr Conlon moved to Australia years ago, Ms Simon said he remained close to his family in Ireland, as does she.

"He's got his mum and dad Ethel and Dermot overseas. They lived in Summerhill Village in Sligo.

"They are not able to come over. Unfortunately, they are not in good health themselves."

He also has an older brother John (known as Moss), brother Phillip and little sister Leanna, with both Leanna and Moss due to arrive in Australia this week.

Ms Simon said that, as she prepares to farewell the love of her life, she just wants people to know what a great person Mr Conlon was.

"I think I'd like to say he was the kindest, most compassionate man and he would help anyone who needed it.

"There was a homeless man around town called James, and Damien would often see James and go and get him a cup of coffee or get him a meal or whatever he needed.

"I remember he came home one night and said 'babe, it's really cold and there is a guy down in the park and it's not real great weather, so I'm going to grab one of the sleeping bags and take him a sleeping bag'.

"So he took him down a sleeping bag and a hot meal.

"He didn't want to see anyone go without, and he wanted to make sure everyone was looked after.

"He was truly one of the kindest people and, like I said, if a friend rang him in the middle of the night to say her shower had burst, he'd jump out of bed and go fix it.

"That's just who he was."

Ms Simon said she was trying to come to terms with her new reality, despite how difficult it is.

"I'm devastated, to be honest.

"It's very hard to come to terms with what has happened.

"I'm just taking it day by day. The hardest thing we are finding is we just didn't get to say goodbye.

"That's our hardest part.

"The older two are finding it very hard. The younger two, the eldest is two, he walks around the house calling for him and looking for him.

"But unfortunately, Dad's not coming home."

Ms Simon said she was grateful for the amazing support she had been shown by many in an awful time.

"I'm very lucky. The team at Balance [Early Education, where she works] have been absolutely phenomenal with their support in all of this.

"In fact, one of the girls came and picked up the boys the day I found out to take them back to care.

"They have been absolutely phenomenal with their support."

She also has her sisters and aunt, who she said have been amazing, as have many other people, too numerous to mention, including the police and detectives, who she said had been incredibly helpful and supportive.

Ms Simon said she will be forever grateful for the love shown to her during a time of such enormous loss.

"It's just hard to come to terms with it," she said.

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