“That’s how I’ll best remember him,” wife Teresa said.

“The relationship he had with his children and the love he had for them, which was well-reciprocated. He’d do anything for them.”

Lismore-born, Gordon spent some of his childhood in Grafton before returning to Lismore and moving on to Sydney to work in a bank and then go to teachers training college. He taught in the western suburbs of Sydney for a short time before taking up a teaching position in Casino, where he also started coaching rugby league.

One day in 1967 he had a young student teacher named Teresa doing prac work in his classroom, and the two went on to build a strong teaching (and parenting) partnership. Gordon was posted out west to a one-teacher school on a sheep property where he became part of the strong community network he so loved.

The Creightons next taught at a two-teacher school in Rowena and then down to the Victorian border where Gordon even played Australian Rules.

He eventually found his home, however, when both took up teaching positions at the Glen Innes Public School in 1970. He went on to become deputy principal during his 32 years at the school and could have sought further promotion, but the prospect didn’t appeal to him as it would of meant having to leave his beloved Glen Innes.

“He was content at the school, he had fantastic friends and he thought Glen Innes was a great place to bring up kids,” Teresa said.

The couple had Michael in 1971, Sarah in 1974 and Ben in 1978.

The second of four brothers himself, Teresa said Gordon was thrilled when Sarah arrived.

“I never thought I’d have a daughter,” he said. One of his final memories would have been walking Sarah down the aisle in September this year.

While each of his babies’ arrivals at Glen Innes Hospital were surrounded by a great deal of excitement, Gordon wasn’t to be excluded from the birthing suite – as was the custom of the day – when Michael was preparing to make an appearance. He scaled the outside of the building to gain access to the first floor, making his way upstairs to be sure he was on hand for the birth.

He went on to become the proud grandfather of Jessie, Sophie, Jacob and Mitchell, all Sarah’s children.

Gordon revelled in his children, their partners Naomi, Jason and Melanie, and then off-spring as the family grew, and just this April enjoyed the annual family get-together at Forster.

Ben said his father mostly taught in the upper primary school as he could develop more of a relationship with the older children, and of course talk footy, perhaps indoctrinating a few before they considered any other code.

“Gordon really got into rugby league and coaching from when Michael was five,” Teresa said.

“Sarah played netball so he was involved in that as well, and got to connect with the parents of other kids.

“He made a strong network of friends in Glen Innes, and never thought of moving,”

In contrast to his father, Michael was a world traveller. Gordon missed having him close, and so he and Teresa made Gordon’s first overseas trip two years ago to visit Michael while he was stationed in Geneva. Many of Michael’s postings were not conducive to visitors, so many family members and friends took the opportunity to visit Michael in Europe, most being taken to one of Michael’s favourite spots in the world, Chamonix in the French Alps.

“Gordon was so proud of what Michael did,” Teresa said.

When Michael set up base in Laos, Gordon became obsessed with visiting him there. Other commitments meant Teresa couldn’t accompany him so she sent him off with her blessings, only concerned for a man of 71 years – somewhat inexperienced in world travel – flying to Asia on his own.

Gordon was known to always be early for appointments.

“If you asked him to pick you up at 9pm, he said, ‘I’ll be there at five to’,” Ben said.

“I had to collect him from home at 5am to take him to Armidale airport the morning he left, so I knew he’d be waiting at five to so I thought I’d trick him and got there at 10 to. He was standing on the footpath, suitcases by his side, waiting for me.”

Gordon spent a wonderful week catching up with Michael and his fiancé Melanie Fuller in Vientiane, where they had a home by the Mekong River. Michael regularly made the Vientiane to Pakse flight for his work and was scheduled to fly on the Thursday but changed the booking to the earlier day so his dad could accompany him to see him at work. Melanie was supposed to go as well but couldn’t due to work commitments.

Ben received a text message from his brother just as the two were about to board the plane, saying, ‘Hi champ. Dad’s doing really well. We’re heading down south to blow things up.”

Ben’s reply bounced back as Michael and Gordon were already on the plane.

Teresa said she had some regrets that she wasn’t with them, but she said even if Gordon knew what was going to happen he still would have taken the seat next to his son.

“’I’ll come with you mate,’ he would have said. “He was always along for the ride.”