Farewell to Echuca’s shoe repair legend

After leaving high school, Rex worked on a farm and then at a bicycle store before his father, Frank, taught him the shoe repair trade.

When he finished his apprenticeship, Rex opened his first shoe repair business in Nathalia around 1950, which was located next to the local café.

It was at this café where he met his future wife, Shirley, who worked there.

Rex was a popular figure in town at the time, known for his sharp fashion sense and love of dancing.

Shirley and Rex married in 1953 and relocated to Echuca, where they started their reputable High St business after moving from a smaller shop across the street.

Although specialising in shoe repairs, the Kightlys’ business has also sold fishing gear, footballs, school bags and handbags, along with shoes and shoe care products.

For many years, Shirley serviced upstairs rooms at the shop used to house boarders, which later served as storage for the vast amount of items Rex collected.

It was a habit of Rex’s to hold on to things, which he would repair, or because they “might come in useful”, as he used to say.

They had their first child, Jennifer, in 1955, followed by their son, Brian, in 1958.

Through hard work and lengthy hours at the store, Rex and Shirley purchased a block of land in town and built a two-bedroom house.

Rex spent his spare time with family, fishing on weekends around Mathoura, and driving to Melbourne during school holidays, returning home with a haul of business supplies.

In the 1980s, Rex and Shirley purchased a five-acre property in Moama, which has been their home for the past 42-years.

It was a dream of Rex’s to own a larger plot of land, which he developed with his remarkable work ethic that extended beyond his trade at the store.

He expanded the garden, planted fruit trees, installed a pond at the front of the property, kept a few cows, and paved a road into the property with his son.

Rex also kept busy with other hobbies, such as creating hand-crafted wooden toys and chairs made from timber sticks.

In later years, he began collecting Hornby trains and model cars, trucks and planes.

The shoe repair store would come to double as a model car seller around 1995, and now operates as Echuca Scale Model Cars.

Rex worked at the store into his final year until he was no longer able to and, since his passing, Shirley has continued to open the doors.

The store is running as usual under Shirley’s management with the help of Rex’s family.

A great-grandfather, Rex was the head of a loving extended family, including his three grandsons and six great-grandchildren.

His funeral was held in Echuca on Thursday, January 23, and attendees were encouraged to wear their R.M. Williams boots, Rex’s favourite brand.

Funeral celebrant Ruth Turpin noted that many people did, and acknowledged an R.M. Williams representative was in attendance to pay his respects.

Information from Ms Turpin, who put together and delivered Rex’s eulogy, was used in this article.