JEROME Brecard has been remembered at his beloved Branxton Public School as a popular teacher known as Goldie, who encouraged his students, loved sport and was always smiling and dancing.
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Mr Brecard's wife Jo, sons Remy and Maddox, parents Tara and Serge and many of his friends and relatives travelled to the school on Wednesday to unveil a sign reading 'The Jerome Brecard Sports Court, where giving your personal best is gold' and turn the soil on the back oval.
Work on the court is expected to start early next year.
Mrs Brecard said she hadn't travelled much to her late husband's workplace before he became ill.
"To come up here and feel it and experience it and actually see the difference that he made - it's very overwhelming and humbling to know what impact he had on everyone," she said.
Mr Brecard, 33, died on July 3, six weeks after receiving his bowel cancer diagnosis.
He had driven 100 kilometres every day between his Macquarie Hills home and Branxton, where his hat still hangs in his year six classroom.
Mrs Brecard said the court was a fitting tribute to her husband, who enjoyed playing, coaching and refereeing.
"It's not always about winning, it's not always about beating the other person," she told students.
"It's about having fun, enjoying it with each other and giving your personal best - that's definitely what he was all about."
Principal Michelle Maier said Mr Brecard's colleagues used to joke he was her golden-haired favourite and the nickname Goldie stuck.
"He never ever said a bad word or complained about anyone, even on those tough days," she said.
"He only looked for positives.
"He knew every one of his students, he knew their strengths, their characteristics, he knew what made them laugh, he knew when they needed support and he valued them."
The school rallied around Mr Brecard soon after his diagnosis and held a Gold for Goldie Day, where 29 students and four teachers shaved their heads and raised more than $33,000 for the Brecards.
Mrs Maier encouraged students to follow Mr Brecard's example of looking for the positives, aiming for improvement and giving their best.
"When you go through life and you reach a challenge, or you improve, or something great happens, you've got to now think 'That's a Goldie moment' - that's the way you remember him," she said.
Mrs Brecard, whose "mission is to keep living" for her husband and do the things he wanted to do, said she knew at least 100 people who had been tested for bowel cancer since his diagnosis.
"Jerome had no symptoms at all.
"Don't make it a taboo subject, talk about it, get checked. Prevention is the key.
"I'd hate for anybody to have to go through what we've been through."
Helen Gregory
Helen Gregory joined the Newcastle Herald in 2010. She is the masthead’s education reporter and has written for the H2 and Weekender sections, as well as across a range of issues. Helen is a Walkley Award winning journalist and was also part of the Newcastle Herald team that won the United Nations World Environment Day Media Award for Environmental Reporting.
Helen Gregory joined the Newcastle Herald in 2010. She is the masthead’s education reporter and has written for the H2 and Weekender sections, as well as across a range of issues. Helen is a Walkley Award winning journalist and was also part of the Newcastle Herald team that won the United Nations World Environment Day Media Award for Environmental Reporting.
