The Kilsyth and Lilydale communities are mourning the loss of a loved community member and longest serving RSL president after Eric Dosser was found dead on Tuesday 9 April.
The 85-year-old was reported missing after last seen taking his dog for a walk early on Monday morning.
His dog was later handed into a vet clinic in Kilsyth around 5.45pm on 8 April, sparking an extensive search from police, SES and Air Wing.
“Officers discovered the deceased man on the Carrum to Warburton Trail about 8.15am [on Tuesday],” Victoria Police said.
Eric was born in South Camberwell in 1938 to Edwin and Mable Dosser, brother to Max.
Achieving his education from Camberwell Grammar School, the Box Hill State School and then Box Hill Grammar, when he left he joined the railway department and in 1957 he was in the first call up of National Service.
Completing basic training, Eric was selected to join the 3rd Training Battalion Band at Puckapunyal full time, where he performed regimental parades and services.
He even acted as a guard of honour at Essendon Airport to welcome US General Maxwell Taylor, Supreme Allied Commander in the South-West Pacific.
Eric’s National Service was a six year commitment, therefore, he was transferred to the Royal Melbourne 6th Battalion Band, where he performed at many military, Vice-Regal, State and Melbourne City Council functions.
Returning to his pre-service work on the railways, Eric became a country salesman for freight with the Victorian Railways for sixteen years, married and raised two children while living in Box Hill.
When his marriage broke down, he decided to run a service station in East Ringwood. He also met Joy, his soon to be wife.
They were married in 1978 and were able to spend a delightful 42 years together before Joy died of cancer.
The pair moved to their home in Kilsyth and in 1989, Eric sold the service station to open a fruit shop in Plymouth Road, Croydon, working there until he retired.
With a history of playing the bugle, in 1990 Eric took on the unofficial role as Lilydale RSL’s bugler.
Just three years later he was elected as president at a time when the sub-branch was looking to progress and grow after a few years of neglect.
Eric served as president from 1993 to 2003 and brought great change to the RSL.
Not only did patronage increase, renovations of the clubrooms were done and it became a family-friendly environment.
Between 1994 and 2013 he was master of ceremonies at each dawn service and Remembrance Day ceremony at Lilydale and increased attendance there enormously.
Eric will be remembered for championing the memory of service men and women, working to honour those who came before and passing on the knowledge to the next generation.
He encouraged programs with local schools, was co-chair of the committee to create the Shire of Lillydale World War II honour board and worked on a number of local war memorial projects, most notably the Lilydale Wall of Remembrance at the Ralph Goode Reserve.
Despite leaving his presidency in 2003 to build up the local branch of the National Servicemen’s Association, Eric returned for his second term in 2008 to help keep Lilydale RSL ‘traditional’.
“During his presidency he took the deliberate path of not having a ‘pokie palace’ but instead concentrated on veterans welfare, this is still the goal of the current executive and members,” RSL president Bill Dobson said.
“Eric was well known to many people and will be sadly missed.”
Dedicating a total of 15 years as president, Eric was the longest serving and was recognised with a life membership in 2019.
Local historian Anthony McAleer worked on Eric’s biography with him for the centenary of the Lilydale RSL.
