Murray Guille in Dandenong.By Shaun Inguanzo
THE DANDENONG community is in mourning after local stalwart Murray Guille and wife Nancy were killed in a collision in Orbost last week.
Mr Guille, 79, was to have celebrated his 80th birthday on 30 December after a life of community service to the city of Dandenong and Endeavour Hills.
Among his achievement was the co-founding of what has become the Gateway Centre in Dandenong that employs disabled people to carry out woodwork, gardening, cleaning and packing jobs for local businesses. He also compered Dandenong’s Carols by Candlelight for 21 years, and captained the Dandenong football team when it entered the Victorian Football Association (VFA).
The lives of Mr and Mrs Guille were cut short when their car and a ute collided while travelling near Orbost last week.
Police said the collision happened shortly after 3pm on Wednesday 28 November about 20 kilometres east of Orbost along the Princes Highway.
The two occupants of the other car were taken to the Orbost Hospital with serious injuries. Police said Mr and Mrs Guille died at the scene and they are now investigating the circumstances surrounding the collision.
Mr Guille’s son-in-law John Airdrie said the Guille family was in shock but wanted the community to know that a funeral date had been put on hold until police investigating the matter released both bodies.
Meanwhile, those who knew Mr Guille – who is also the father of ABC Radio presenter Derek Guille – have offered their condolences to the couple’s family.
The Guilles moved to Dandenong in 1958 where Murray had taken a job as representative for AMP.
His passion for sport led to him founding the Dandenong Table Tennis Association, which has now become the Greater Dandenong Table Tennis Association.
The association’s current president Phillip Maas said Mr Guille, a life member, would always be remembered and that it was sad that he would miss the association’s 50th anniversary in 2009.
“It’s just a great tragedy and it’s hard to put into words (how I feel),” Mr Maas said.
“He will be very sadly missed and it’s disappointing the circumstances of his death.”
In 1958, Mr Guille captained Dandenong in the VFA, continuing his passion for football after he played for Sandringham, South Bendigo and Charlton.
Mr Guille became a high-profile member of the Dandenong community through his involvement with Rotary. He helped found the Rotary Club of Endeavour Hills after having worked with the Dandenong branch.
In 1979, Mr Guille and Rotary Club of Dandenong president Bruce Gibson identified that disabled people were home bound and isolated.
With help from fellow stalwart Arthur Wren, they began a project to get disabled people into employment, and today the program has become the Gateway Centre.
Gateway Centre general manager Alex Neitz this week said he knew Mr Guille personally and was deeply saddened by the loss.
“Everybody who has been connected with the Gateway Centre sends their thoughts to the family,” Mr Neitz said. “It’s the loss of a very fine person. The things he did say more for what type of person Murray was as opposed to people speaking about him though.
“Everyone connected with Murray will certainly reiterate that.”
Friend of Mr Guille and former Dandenong Chamber of Commerce president Bruce Patchell told Star Mr Guille compered the Chamber’s Carols by Candlelight for 21 years.
“He would lead the crowd with carols often,” Mr Patchell said. “Murray had a great personality and he always had a broad smile for everybody and he was a good bloke. And a gentleman at that.”
Mr and Mrs Guille leave behind six children, 15 grandchildren and three great-grand children.
The couple will be farewelled at Trinity Uniting Church in Dandenong on Monday 10 December at 12.30pm.
