MESSAGE WALL: Leave your tributes to Dan, here

HUNDREDS of family, friends and supporters packed the grounds of Tangaratta Vineyards yesterday to farewell a man who has touched everyone who knew or knew of him. 

Dan Haslam became the face of a campaign to legalise medicinal marijuana, but his family and friends honoured him as a man who was so much more to them at his public memorial service.

The service, led by Sunday Night journalist Helen Kapalos, highlighted many of Dan’s passions including cycling, which he would do the day after chemotherapy treatments, a guitar to demonstrate his love of music, hats and boots for his love of the countryside, particularly Hillgrove where his wife Alyce’s family has a property, his tool belt, a mandolin that he restored, a soccer ball and kick boxing shorts for his love of sport, an Irish dictionary and a cushion that he made.

Dan’s parents, Lou and Lucy, spoke of their son’s sense of humour and all his interests as well as his zest for life, which cancer could not steal from him.

“His humanity was his most exceptional quality,” Mrs Haslam said.

“Cancer robbed him of his future and robbed us of our precious son.”

Lucy said she hoped he would rewrite history with the legalisation of medical marijuana.

“At a time when he was fighting for his life, he chose to begin a new fight on behalf of so many people,” she said.

“I will miss him every minute, every hour, every day and in his memory, I will continue his fight.”

Mr Haslam said Dan refused to speak of his passing and the word terminal wasn’t allowed to be in their vocabulary.

“Without Alyce, his beautiful wife, Lucy and I would not have been able to cope like we have,” he said.

They, along with Alyce, vowed to honour his memory by continuing the fight to legalise medical cannabis.

The couple met at Southern Cross University in Lismore and quickly fell in love, knowing they wanted to be together always.

Alyce spoke of Dan’s love for her parents’ property at Hillgrove, where they were married.

“Dan gave me so much,” she said.

“I miss his cheeky grin. He was not only my husband, but my best friend. I will love you forever.”

His brothers, Luke and Billy, described Dan as their best mate and spoke of the mischief they would get into when they were younger. They said they would wait for the rest of their lives to see him again.

His close friend Matt Holding said Dan left an “incredible legacy” behind him.

“Dan changed the way people looked at life,” he said.

“You’ve provided us with some of the finest memories possible.”

Talkback radio host Alan Jones and NSW Premier Mike Baird both spoke of how he had inspired people across the nation.

Mr Jones said Dan showed “selfless courage” trying to alleviate the pain of others with the push for medical cannabis, while dealing with his own battles.

Also present was Deputy Premier Troy Grant.

Dan and Alyce’s friends from university said they would look after Alyce for Dan and would always love her.

“This is our promise to you and we will never break it,” they said.

Dan’s final farewell was his hundreds of friends, family and supporters forming a guard of honour to the soundtrack of Coldplay’s Fix You.