In a fitting tribute to the dedicated coach and athletics enthusiast, the signage is now in place identifying the venue as the Bill Jacob Athletics Centre.

"It's great. We're all very proud that it's up there for him," his wife Robin Jacob said.

Robin, with daughters Ruth and Sarah and three of Bill's four grandchildren gathered to mark the occasion this week.

Until his death in August last year due to brain cancer, Jacob was heavily involved in athletics for more than 40 years, and was a fixture at the facility, volunteering as a coach.

"We could never go anywhere," Robin recalled with a smile.

"We always had to be home before 4pm, so he could come up to the track."

Daughters Sarah and Ruth agreed it was a fitting legacy to their father.

"It's quite emotional, definitely," Ruth said.

Sarah said it felt both surreal and amazing to see the signage up at a venue.

Jacob had an influence on thousands of athletes over many years, and will now be remembered by generations more.

"He just loved seeing kids improve, and probably moreso even the ones that didn't necessarily show a lot of talent (at first), and he could bring it out of them," Sarah said.

Bill Jacob was involved in the formation of the Kooringal club in 1978, and was president when it was renamed Kooringal-Wagga Athletics Club and incorporated in 1988.

He was also a hands-on figure in the track's development with Sarah recalling a photo of her father digging the long jump pits.

It was that level of dedication to the sport that saw former Kooringal-Wagga Athletics president Steve Cook and Wagga Little Athletics Club's Bob Hay get together last year and organise a submission to Wagga City Council to recognise Jacob's contribution.

They said it was always in their minds to try to have a planned new upgraded facility named in Bill's honour in the future but after his sad and sudden passing last year, the athletics fraternity wanted to move more quickly to recognise his legacy.

Cook and current Kooringal-Wagga president Mick Dare joined family members at the gathering, continuing Jacob's link with the club, as well as the track, which spanned more than four decades.

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