The township of Hastings came to a standstill today.. as hundreds paid tribute to slain jeweller Dermot O'Toole IF there was any sense to come from an act of sheer senselessness, it slowly emerged on the streets of Hastings yesterday. Two weeks after jeweller Dermot O'Toole was stabbed in a bungled robbery, the town he loved most came together like it never had before. The affable Irishman would have loved it. Those who could not fit inside the church for his funeral braved the scattered showers outside. Mr O'Toole's sons release doves at his funeral. Some lined the streets. Yet more stood and waited for the cortege to travel past the jewellery shop where he was known and loved. This was a farewell where laughter served his memory far more than tears. Sons Christian, Dale and Trent said their father would not have had it any other way. "To all of us he was gentle, affectionate, kind, respectful, honest and entertaining," one said. To his grandchildren, he was energetic, joyous and often ridiculous. Friends and family of murdered shop owner Dermot O'Toole arrive for his funeral. They said his final act to protect his wife, their mother, would remain his greatest legacy of all. Best mate and former local parish priest Father John Madden said there was no ignoring the brutality of the 64-year-old's death, but it shouldn't mask the good that could come from it. From the bouquets piled high outside Mr O'Toole's shop, to the generous offers of support from local businesses -- there was seemingly no end to the goodwill from a community grappling with the loss. Flowers and notes of dedication are left for Dermot O'Toole. "Today we honour a great man who has touched the lives of so many," Fr Madden said. Evil does not have the last word. We do. Scores of those gathered to say goodbye wore sprays of green in his honour. An Essendon Football Club scarf was among the mementos placed on a table at the front of the congregation. In a statement read by a friend, wife Bridget said she could not have been prouder of her family.