mmg.com.au

The Goulburn Valley community is mourning the loss of policeman, clubman and all-round good bloke Frank Hogan, aged 56.

Yesterday, Mr Hogan’s friends and colleagues said they would remember him as a happy, jovial person who took his job seriously.

Mr Hogan was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2009 after a large tumour was found at the base of his tongue.

After a large dose of chemotherapy and radiation, by 2010 the tumour had gone.

However, by December 2011 doctors found secondary cancer spots in his lungs.

City of Greater Shepparton councillor and Tatura stalwart Kevin ‘‘Gunna’’ Ryan said Mr Hogan was a great policeman, a great character and someone you wanted in a town.

‘‘He brought discipline to the young people, they all knew when Frankie Hogan spoke, everybody listened,’’ Cr Ryan said.

‘‘He did it in such a jovial way you couldn’t help but love the man, but you didn’t muck around with him, because you got the pointy end of his boot if you did the wrong thing.

‘‘No doubt, he was what the police force is all about.’’

Mr Ryan said with Mr Hogan’s passing, the loss felt throughout the community would be ‘‘enormous’’.

‘‘He would show up at saleyards in Shepparton and in the days of the Tatura saleyards, and it would be very uncommon not to have Frankie Hogan walking around, giving his view on the pens of cattle — he had a very, very good eye for cattle,’’ he said.

‘‘He knew exactly what he was talking about, he loved his saleyards and was always around them somewhere — he just loved the land.’’

To those who knew him in the police force, Leading Senior Constable Hogan was a legend.

He grew up at Toolamba on a farm and joined the police force as a 19-year-old in 1976.

He got his training on the streets of Broadmeadows before coming back to the Goulburn Valley in 1979, where he remained ever since.

He worked first at Euroa, then in Shepparton before being stationed at Tatura for 15 years. Last year, Mr Hogan was was awarded honorary life membership for his ongoing involvement and dedication to Murchison Football Club.

‘‘Everybody loved Frankie, he just loved life and was true to his word with everything,’’ Mr Ryan said.

Mr Hogan is survived by his siblings Carmel, Jerry, Maree and Kathy (Julia died of cancer in 2010), his partner Irene, his daughters Angela, Fiona and Mandy and his grandsons Jai, Bailey, Finn, Jesse and Jet.