Mr Laughton died on Friday at the age of 93.

Marie, his wife of 72 years, fondly recalls all this times her husband went into their garden to pick her flowers.

The couple met at Leeton Hospital, where Mrs Laughton was trained to be a nurse and Mr Laughton was studying to be a radiographer.

The couple moved to Wagga in 1950.

Pat Stephenson, a former director of nursing at Wagga Base Hospital, worked with Mr Laughton.

“He was very friendly, but very proper. A real gentleman,” Ms Stephenson said.

“He was very supportive of all the staff and always very concerned about how his department was running.

“Everyone had such a high regard for John. He was so polite.

“Everything he did was done correctly.

“He was the epitome of what a true public servant should be.”

A loving grandfather and great-grandfather, Mr Laughton is also being remembered for his many years of dedication to St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and for his long service to the Wagga Tigers football club, an organisation he served for many years as secretary.

“He was Wagga Tigers to the bone,” Mrs Laughton said.

“He also loved his church.”

Mr Laughton survived polio and, his wife said, was left with only minimal ongoing health concerns.

Certainly, it did not diminish his enjoyment of running or prevent him learning to ski.

“He was a great runner,” Mrs Laughton said.

“John was quite serious. In the ski club, he was known as ‘Gentleman John’.

“He always liked to wear a tie.”

Mrs Laughton said she and her husband had their “ups and downs” during their long marriage, but one thing never changed: Mr Laughton loved to bring his wife flowers.

“He loved giving me flowers, and was always giving me presents," she said.

“It was just lovely."

The couple had three children; daughters Suzanne and Elizabeth and son John.

Tragically, son John died when he was just 27.

A funeral for Mr Laughton will be held in his beloved St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, in Church Street, Wagga, on Monday, March 4, at 2pm.