Mr Bothwell - who died on October 9, aged 94 - was farewelled at St John's Anglican Church, Cessnock on Wednesday.

Mr Bothwell was born in Cessnock in 1925, brought up during the Depression, the son and grandson of coal miners.

"He always said that he had two choices for a career - that of a coal miner or a teacher, if he could win a scholarship to do so. He had to repeat the Leaving Certificate to achieve his goal," his daughter Anne Willey said in the eulogy she delivered at Wednesday's service.

He started his teaching career in 1950 at Armidale, where he met his future wife Pam in the choir at St Peter's Cathedral.

He went on to work at Uralla in 1953 (the same year the couple married), before moving back to Cessnock in 1956, when he was appointed to the maths staff at Cessnock High. Their son Brian was born that year, and daughter Anne two years later.

Keen for promotion, Mr Bothwell undertook further study and earned a position as social sciences master at Raymond Terrace High School in 1962. He also taught geography in the evenings at the Williamtown Air Force Base. He transferred back to Cessnock in 1966, and four years later the family moved to the Snowy Mountains when Mr Bothwell he took up the position of deputy headmaster at Tumut High School.

Further promotion brought Mr Bothwell back to Cessnock in 1974 when he was appointed Social Sciences Inspector of Schools, based in Newcastle.

His role was eventually restructured to that of Inspector of Schools, responsible for all schools in the Cessnock and Singleton districts, and one of his final achievements was to help facilitate the building of a much-needed second high school in Cessnock - Mount View High School, which opened in 1985, the year he retired.

Following his retirement, he and Pam enjoyed a lot of travel, and he also spent a lot of time in Sydney on "grandparent duties" with Anne's children.

He was heavily involved at St John's church, where he was a lay liturgical assistant, rector's warden, a member of the Parish Council, the church choir and the Church of England Men's (now Anglican Men's) Society.

He was a volunteer with the Samaritans Emergency Relief Program from its inception in 1974, and was also a member of Cessnock Lions Club, Cessnock Masonic Lodge, Cessnock Probus Club, Marthaville Arts and Cultural Centre, Neighbourhood Watch, and Cessnock Community Radio, presenting a weekly classical music program on Tuesday afternoons for more than 20 years.

Anne said her father was humbled to be recognised as Cessnock's Citizen of the Year in 1998, and as Freeman of the City in 2006.

"Many, many people have said to me that Dad was a real gentleman: humble, kind, generous and caring - he was that man and more," she said.

"He was also a man that loved his community - a true son of Cessnock, who will be greatly missed."

Mr Bothwell is predeceased by his wife Pam (who died in 2016), and is survived by their children Brian and Anne, and grandchildren Tim and Amanda.