Trafalgar Holden Museum founder and president Neil Joiner died on Thursday, age 75.
Mr Joiner's death was announced on the Trafalgar Holden Museum's Facebook page.
A well-known face in the community, Mr Joiner was the driving force behind the creation of the museum, where he sought to tell the full story of Holden's history through its many displays.
Mr Joiner recruited a passionate group of volunteers and together they saw the museum go from humble beginnings to become one of Trafalgar's main tourist attractions.
The museum said Mr Joiner's "enthusiasm and spirit will continue to inspire us all."
Mr Joiner also was a contributing member of the Trafalgar Chamber of Commerce, who paid tribute to him on its Facebook page, saying "Neil's wisdom, advice, passion and knowledge will be sorely missed at our chamber of commerce meetings."
Mr Joiner is survived by his wife of 53 years Annette, his mother Gwen and his children Andrew, Catherine, Anne and Rosemary.
His funeral will be held tomorrow (Wednesday) at the Nielsen Funeral Chapel in Warragul at 1pm.