John Sidney Palmer, better known as Jacky, was a legend among his co-workers.

Mr Palmer was born on December 22, 1947 to Alfred and Winifred Palmer in Leeton, he was brother to Eileen, Ruth and Rodney.

When Mr Palmer finished at Leeton High School he started an apprenticeship with The Irrigator as a compositor.

After completing the apprenticeship he worked in Sydney and Tasmania before arriving at The Area News, where he worked until he retired.

As compositor his job was to manually arrange the type for printing.

Donna Ryan worked alongside Mr Palmer and said he was 'down to earth'.

"He was a very loving guy, very loyal and a good friend," Ms Ryan said.

Production staff worked long hours and couldn't leave until the paper was finished which meant the 'back staff' found ways to make the job fun with a few games of cricket.

"It was really good fun, it was a lovely place to work and he made the place," Ms Ryan said.

Former editor Daniel Johns described Mr Palmer as a throwback to a generation of men who worked hard and played hard.

"He was humble, giving, understated and unpretentious," Mr Johns said.

"He had so much personal warmth, authenticity and decency at his core, and was a champion for the underdog, hence why he barracked for the Bunnies.

"Jack was a union hardhead who stood up for his colleagues at a time of rapid structural change in the newspaper industry.

"The company was too terrified to sack him so redeployed him into a range of different, and often wildly inappropriate, roles."

Mr Johns said during Mr Palmer's final years at the paper he was made the weatherman and looked after the website.

"He responded with his favourite refrain - 'trust me' - whenever he dispensed advice to a young reporter," he said.

"He was also a man of routine, walking back to his Wakaden Street flat at the same time each day for a lunch of steak and eggs, and to watch the midday movie."

Mr Johns said Mr Palmer was a regular at the Northside Leagues and regularly won the meat raffle.

"While others would celebrate loudly when they backed a winner at the Northside TAB, Jack would simply give a nod and say 'that's a few more cans for Christmas'," he said.

Travelling and sport were his passions, visiting the best parts of Australia, England and the Philippines.

He played lawn bowls, cricket, basketball and football for the Leeton Greens, the Red Legs and was part of the Yanco Penguins premiership team.

While he never had any children of his own, he adored all of his nieces and nephews and he loved nothing more than to be surrounded by his family.

Mr Palmer was 71 years old.

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