The township of Hay and the wider sporting community have rallied with messages of condolences, following the news of the passing of Peter ‘Parra’ Montgomery. Parra’s death occurred late on Saturday, following complications from a heart attack suffered earlier in the week.

It seems poetic that Parra travelled to Hay recently to be part of the 1975 premiership reunion of his beloved Magpies Rugby League Club, taking part in this year’s presentation night.

From there he travelled back to Albury, which has been his home for the past seven years, where he and a group of lifelong mates enjoyed one of their legendary catch-ups. When he took ill, Parra was transferred to Melbourne for treatment, surrounded by his wife Pat, children Janine, Michael, and Sharni, family and friends.

I had the good fortune to speak with Parra when he was in Hay two weeks ago, and hear first hand his recollections of the 1974 and 1975 seasons, and it is safe to say his recollections were shared with uncanny accuracy. He told me he could simply close his eyes, and games from the past would clearly play out in front of him, as if on film.

There was no denying his passion for sport and for Hay and nothing excited him as much as a home grown hero.

Whether it was in the pages of The Riverine Grazier or later on social media, the pride he took in celebrating sporting stars such as Nick Edwards, Jodie Hicks and Rachael Pearson was unmatched. And he celebrated small wins as enthusiastically as the big ones. He bestowed nicknames on countless people - whether they wanted them or not - and every one was heavy on the dad-joke humour.

He cared little about whether the subject was embarrassed by his lavish praise and repeated the proffered nicknames until many stuck.

After a childhood spent in Sydney, Parra moved to Hay in 1966 as part of a transfer with the Lands Department.

He has unashamedly repeated to me on countless occasions that it was the best move of his life, not least because it was here that he met wife Pat, and where they raised their family.

During his time in Hay, Parra was instrumental in the administration of Hay Magpies and Group 17, Hay Cutters Rugby Union Club and local cricket, but was a fierce supporter of all local sport, from footy to darts.

In 1985 Parra and Pat joined Ann and Kevin Goldspink in a business partnership to purchase the Highway Inn Hotel, and construct the motel next door.

The mine host lifestyle suited Parra’s love of an epic yarn and the pub took on a new life.

Throughout his time, Parra would write sports articles - predominantly Group 17 results - for local and regional newspapers, Rugby League Week magazine and the Sunday Telegraph and Sun Herald.

In 1999 Parra formed another important partnership, joining forces with Tertia Butcher and the late Rod McCully to purchase The Riverine Grazier.

Parra sat at the front desk and was the paper’s receptionist and sports editor, summing up the week’s news in a regular back page column aptly entitled ‘Parra’s Piece’

After leaving the Grazier in 2007, he continued to contribute stories periodically for the pages of the paper, and Parra’s Pieces also popped up on his Facebook page as well.

In 2011 Parra was instrumental in pulling off one of the biggest rugby league coups in country NSW - the Magpies ‘Pie in the Sky’ game pitted a team of current and ex-NRL players against local talent, drawing crowds from far and wide, and there was no doubt Parra was in his element.

A life member of both the Magpies and the Cutters, the Magpies unveiled the new digital scoreboard at Hay Park’s number one oval as the Parra Montgomery Scoreboard in 2016. In the years of his retirement, Parra would continue to champion local sport and the people who make it possible, often showcasing those who least expected it; highlighting the unsung hero was a true love of Parra’s.

Whether the topic was his memories, Group 9, Group 20, ProTen, local heroes, politics or dad-jokes, Parra always shared his views with an excitement and passion that will be missed by many. Funeral details for the late Peter Montgomery will shortly be announced by the family.