Reg Ryan, his wife Olive and young family moved into Monte Cristo in 1963, there was no water, electricity and the house was missing windows and doors.

"It was an enormous effort to restore it, both physically and financially," mayor Lola Cummins said.

"Monte Cristo was the only tourist attraction we had for many, many years."

As a result Junee now has a national and international reputation thanks to the movie Muirhouse, but also the Australian and international documentaries which have attempted to discover the house's secrets.

It wasn't all about developing an old house into a magnet for supernatural fanatics. Mr Ryan combined his home and his experience as a tailor to help raise funds for charity with the old-time balls, which for many, remain an annual highlight for the social calender.

"Reg's granddaughter had a rare syndrome and they raised money for that cause for a number of years, but also for registered charities and research into illnesses," Councillor Cummins said.

Junee's tourism development officer Linda Tillman said the work Mr Ryan and his family put into Monte Cristo still kept Junee in the spotlight.

"It still draws people to Junee, Reg was so passionate about it ... a tour by Reg was a great experience, he loved that place and knew it inside and out," she said.

There was more to his life than Monte Cristo, however, with Mr Ryan formerly working as a tailor and a wheelwright while helping raise a family of five children.

Mr Ryan's funeral will be held at Monte Cristo today.

THE passing of Knud Hansen leaves Junee without one of its strongest supporters and contributors to the community.

Mr Hansen operated a gift shop above the licorice factory and was a long-term member of the Lions Club - serving as chairman of the Lions Youth of the Year committee and as president.

"He was quite passionate about helping young people," former president Stephen Gardner said.

However he also cared for elderly people in the community - Mr Gardner said Mr Hansen and his partner Andrew Rasmussen paid for an annual Christmas lunch for Cooinda Court residents.

Mr Gardner said Mr Hansen had been a perfect fit for the Lions Club and was; "one of those people who will give service without expectation of reward or recognition".

Junee High School's principal Matthew Brown said Mr Hansen's passing was very sad and he would be missed.

Currently working as a relieving director for NSW public schools, Mr Brown said Mr Hansen was one of the first people he met from the community when he was posted to the school.

"This is extraordinarily sad for Junee High School and other schools - to lose someone so dedicated to supporting the students and schools," he said.

Junee may not have been Mr Hansen's home town, but that didn't lessen his enthusiasm for helping young people, Mr Brown said.

"He had a genuine, sincere interest - it wasn't just an obligation," he said.

"If it wasn't for people like Knud, (Lions Youth of the Year state finalist) Ebony Becquet would not have had the success from those opportunities."

Mr Hansen's funeral will be held today.