Former East Gippsland Shire Councillor, Ben Buckley, sadly passed away at his home in Benambra on Thursday morning.
An enormously popular figure in the community, Mr Buckley served on five consecutive councils with the East Gippsland Shire from 2003 until his retirement in 2020.
He had previously been an Omeo Shire councillor, prior to the amalgamation of various municipalities in the region, which formed the East Gippsland Shire.
Mr Buckley’s daughter, Cr Sonia Buckley, said her father, aged 85, passed away peacefully in his sleep.

Image: Ben Buckley in the garden of his Benambra home in October last year.