Rob Monk, 56, was riding his usual Thursday morning route with close friends when he suffered a cardiac arrest near Bona Vista, southeast of Warragul.

Despite immediate treatment by his riding colleagues and paramedics, Rob died at Monash Hospital on Thursday night.

More than 100 local cyclists took part in a memorial ride on Sunday, retracing Thursday’s route and briefly stopping where the accident happened, paying tribute to his strong cycling influence. The ride was led by his son Cyrus who had just returned from Europe after his professional cycling season for Irish team Evo Pro.

Rob has been teaching at Drouin for 30 years and was also in his role of assistant principal.

He was a passionate science teacher and was preparing to celebrate with his year 12 students at a valedictory dinner on Friday night.  The event was cancelled.

He modelled his teaching on years of passionate research and a love of teaching.

He was not scared of voicing his teaching and education opinions, particularly via his Twitter account.  He met department opposition when he offered solutions to the effect the metro lockdown was having on his students from the areas of Bunyip and Garfield.  His proposal - which was published in The Gazette, - to use the V/Line train line as a border rather than Cardinia Shire met a firm departmental no and personal rebuke. Yet Rob continued to advocate for students.

He shared his teaching passion with wife Jenn Davies, who is also a teacher at Drouin.

Principal Elizabeth Godwin said Rob exemplified dedication to students and high-quality education during his time at the school.

“He was a much-loved member of staff for over 30 years. His passion for the college and wider community was evident in the devotion he showed to his role as a teacher and leader at the college. He led the focus on curriculum at the college and was instrumental in driving the programs to support all students to achieve their personal goals. Rob was an inspirational educator and very much part of the fabric of Drouin Secondary College. He will be sorely missed,” she said.

An avid cyclist, Rob wrote the cycling notes for The Gazette for many years.  His take no prisoners style was well suited to the sport where sledging and banter are part of the racing environment.

His lively race reports were always highly sought after by cycling and non-cycling readers alike.  Many readers unfamiliar with the sport found his style amusing, while his fellow cyclists dreaded what description he had in store for them.

He conquered the iconic local Mt Baw Baw climb on many occasions as part of the arduous Baw Baw Classic and also took his cycling skills interstate where he took on some of the well-known Adelaide climbs in bitumen melting heat while following the Tour Down Under.

In recent years his Adelaide experience was enhanced watching Cyrus race at the popular Norwood circuit, followed by his sprint champion win at this year’s Festival of Cycling.

Cyrus credits many of his successes to Rob and Jenn and is particularly proud of them for not pushing him in any particular sport but finding his own passion in cycling.

He loved cycling and his cycling buddies and put countless hours into the Warragul Cycling Club.  He took up the sport after too many injuries in other sports and was quickly addicted.

He raced everywhere, but Gippsland was where he felt at home, particularly the Gippsland three-day tour.

And there was always a coffee shop at the end where, in true fishing style, the hills were always longer and steeper, the breakaways faster and stronger and the chase downs successful.

Last year he rode 11,373 kilometres putting in 395 hours on the bike.  He posted his statistics to Facebook with the simple message “ride more in 2021”.

While Cyrus shared his love of cycling, daughter Jessie shared his love of music.

Jessie returned to Drouin on Saturday from her base in Germany where she is building her career as a singer/songwriter. Rob encouraged everyone to buy her debut EP Here Now.

Jessie said Rob always encouraged her music style.  Jessie hasn’t been home in two and a half years, the stint unwillingly extended by COVID, but the distance did not affect his enthusiasm for her life’s path.

“He encouraged me to not just find my voice as an artist, but to find my own voice for everything,” she said.

Jenn said Rob’s father and sister’s family recently visited and the family was able to get together at Ripplebrook Winery.

Jenn said Rob always embraced life and lived to do things and to enjoy them. They were married 26 years, tying the knot on April 1, 1995.

She said they had shared a passion for so many family experiences and ways of viewing life.

In a family statement they said “Dad/Rob was an unfathomably wonderful man, not that any of you need to be told that.

“He loved his community and his friends here in Gippsland so much – cyclists, teachers, students and other family friends, which obviously encompasses so many people and that love isn’t going to disappear.

“Our hearts are breaking with all those hearts we know are breaking too.

“Thank you for giving Dad/Rob a space to be Dad, Rob, Monk or Monkey or however it is you referred to the caring, funny, intelligent, truly authentic man that he was and will continue to be in our hearts.

“So much of what makes us who we are comes from the people that we share life with.  Dad/Rob’s life, though too short, was shared in company that he couldn’t have loved more.”