Adelaide Oval had always been a special place for Gavin Dallow - the scene of many days enjoyed at the football and cricket with family and friends.
So, it was a fitting tribute when his picture beamed from a stadium screen on Friday, along with a simple message on the historic scoreboard: "celebrating the life of Gavin Dallow".
, and her daughter, 15-year-old Zoe Hosking, when the volcano erupted in December.
Mr Dallow's funeral. He was on day trip to White Island when he was caught in the deadly eruption. Source: AAP
Mr Dallow and Zoe were killed, while Mrs Dallow survived and was flown back to Australia with burns to more than half of her body.
About 600 mourners farewelled the 53-year-old during a funeral service held at his beloved sports ground on Friday.
Among them were his elderly parents, Brian and Ruth, twin Meredith and cousin Phil Tyler, who remembered his love of sport, Rotary and, above all, family.
"Gavin was a beautiful man," Mr Tyler said in a eulogy.
Gavin Dallow's photo and name on the scoreboard at Adelaide Oval. Source: AAP
"He had a kind heart, he was generous, he took an interest in people, he was a loyal friend, he had a quirky sense of humour, he had a sharp intellect, he adored his family and he loved his community."
Mr Dallow, a lawyer, worked as a Magistrates Court duty solicitor and at the Legal Services Commission before starting his own business, Dallow Legal.
He took a keen interest in tennis, acting as an umpire at 11 Australian Open tournaments, and was a committed Rotary member for 30 years.
It was through this group that he met his wife, an engineer at Santos, five years ago.
Speaking on behalf of Mrs Dallow's family, her brother, David Francis, said the pair knew they were right for each other and married about two years later.
"Lisa and Gavin filled a hole in each other's life," he said.
"They completed the last piece of the puzzle - they made each other."
He said Mr Dallow was "the sort of bloke who would always think of others", and Zoe accepted him into the family without hesitation.
Gavin Dallow, his stepdaughter, Zoe Hosking and her mother Lisa Dallow. Source: Supplied
"Gavin, you played a massive role in Lisa and Zoe's life and in our family, one that will never be replaced," Mr Francis said.
"You will be missed mate".
The trio were on a two-week cruise and had disembarked the ship for a tour when the eruption spewed hot ash and vapour more than three kilometres into the air.
Of the 47 people reportedly on the island at the time, 19 were killed instantly or later succumbed to their injuries.
Mrs Dallow, 48, remains in a critical but stable condition in a Melbourne hospital, while a funeral service for Zoe has not yet been held.
