OTL_51424_66: Gendore Tractors and Machinery founder Lewis Genoni died on 1 June at Killara Hostel, Kooweerup.
By Bridget Cook
A MAN synonymous with local agriculture, the Gendore name and Tooradin, died last week at the age of 100.
Gendore Tractors and Machinery founder Lewis Genoni, affectionately known as Lew, passed away on 1 June at Killara Hostel, Kooweerup, where he had lived for the past 14 months.
Lew will be sadly missed by many, having been involved in the agricultural industry for more than 70 years, becoming a household name in farming, along with many other local groups and clubs.
Grandson Derek Genoni said Lew would be remembered Australia-wide by the farming community.
“He was a man who was enormously respected throughout the whole local community here and the farming community Australia-wide,” he said.
“Think he will be remembered for the fact that he was a bloke who helped a lot of people get started in farming down here.”
Lew lived a long and fulfilling life, celebrating his 100th birthday in August last year at the Tooradin Sports Club.
At the celebration, he told the Gazette his secret to longevity was little alcohol, no smoking and bucket loads of hard work.
“You know what,” he said. “I’ve had such a great 100 years, I’d like to live it all over again.”
Born in Broomehill, Lew moved to Dalmore in 1927 where he joined his father on the land.
He started a business as an agricultural contractor, ploughing around the Dalmore area and before long added chaff cutting and hay baling to his services. He even invented the world’s first self-propelled baler.
He was approached by New Holland bailers in 1948 to become a dealer and, despite no previous sales experience, accepted the challenge.
About the same time, he entered into a partnership with Nar Nar Goon farmer Greg Dore and the name ‘Gendore’ was born – an amalgam of the two surnames.
Mr Dore sold out of the partnership in the early ’70s to return to farming, but Gendore has remained a prominent figure, as has its dealership at the entrance of Tooradin on the South Gippsland Highway – which has been there for more than 60 years.
Gendore is now a third-generation family company. Lew’s son Rex took over the reigns when Lew retired in his late eighties, and Derek has since become the managing director. Grand-daughter Sophie also works in the business.
“He never really retired though, he always was around and always wanted to know what was going,” Derek said.
Lew’s contribution to the local community did not stop at farming.
He was made a life-member of the Tooradin-Dalmore Football Club in 1958, where he took on a number of roles including president, time keeper, goal umpire, selector, league delegate and player advocate.
He was also heavily involved with the Tooradin Tennis Club and was a long-standing member of the Tooradin Recreation Reserve committee of management. He was on of the people who helped raise the money to buy the land where the reserve is today.
Once he retired, he took joy in helping selling thousands of raffle tickets for local church’s annual Bazaar sale.
“He loved to sell, no matter what it was,” Derek said.
Lew was recognised on many occasions for his contribution, particularly to the agricultural industry. One of his biggest honours was when he received a life achievement award in 1987 from the Pakenham branch of the Victorian Farmers Federation.
Lew’s funeral will be held at Tooradin Uniting Church tomorrow, 10 June, at 1.30pm.
Derek said following the service, the hearse will drive past Gendore for one last goodbye.
“Just so he can check things out and see how everything’s going for one last time,” he said.
