Ralph Bain's many gifts remembered

The well-known Canberran, who moved to the city in the mid-1980s with his then new bride, Helen, made his adopted city his home and gave decades of service to a wide range of causes, some of which had little to do with his day (and occasionally night) job.

He died last week in the Canberra Hospital after a long illness.

Ralph and his family had the good fortune to say their goodbyes and he is to be cremated on Thursday.

Mrs Bain told Gang Gang that during his time with the ABC in Canberra, Ralph worked both the breakfast and drivetime shows.

She, like many of his listeners, enjoyed the quick-witted announcer's wicked sense of humour, and other friends and colleagues have said one danger of working with him was the risk of being provoked to muffled laughter on air.

Much more than a radio announcer, Ralph went out of his way to engage his community as a participating member.

He gave his time freely to causes that he loved including the Canberra Jazz awards (which he hosted for years) and the Southern Cross Graduate Cooks Awards.

One of Ralph's lesser-known claims to fame was as the author of the book Business and Social Etiquette, a timely tome on how manners can matter that was published by The Lizzie Wagner Group.

Mrs Bain, who said she had received numerous messages of support and condolence, said cars were a special passion.

''He hosted a program, Behind the Wheel, that reviewed the strengths and weaknesses of new-model cars,'' she said.

Mr Bain's career took a different turn in later life when he provided the voice-over commentary for broadcasts of the Federal Parliament.

He is also survived by his daughters, Amanda and Lindy, and his grandchildren, Jayden, Jessica and Skye.

Mrs Bain said her husband had been an organ donor. ''Those people wishing to remember Ralph and to share their condolences are requested to donate to the Canberra Hospital Foundation (Attention Ralph Bain 14A),'' she said.

Not all heroes wear a uniform and carry a gun. Take Carol for example. She's a mum and a housewife from out past Hall and drives a Toyota Hilux crew cab.

Carol came into my life, literally out of the blue, while I was driving to work on Wednesday morning. It was just after 9.25am and I was heading into the office down Nanima Road near the turnoff to Poachers Pantry. Then, unexpectedly, my 40-year-old car ''failed to proceed''.

I had barely rolled to a halt before Carol, who was heading in the opposite direction, pulled up and asked me if everything was OK. ''I think I'm out of petrol,'' I replied.

''Do you want me to run you into Hall (a good 10 kilometres or more away in the direction from which she had just come) to get some?'' she asked. Given the NRMA's recorded message was advising me to leave a number for a call-back later because of the volume of calls it was dealing with at the time, this was literally an offer I could not refuse. On the ride to the service station I said it was increasingly rare for people to stop to assist total strangers.

''We help each other out around here,'' was her response. ''And I've only got the housework to get back to.''

Further conversation revealed that in the past month she had stopped to help people at least two or three times, including assisting another woman to change a tyre on the side of the Barton Highway.

''Nobody else stopped,'' she said. ''Not one bloke stopped to help two women by the side of the road.'' This doesn't mean chivalry is dead, however. As Carol proves, it's just shifted across the gender divide.

■ Have you got a Good Samaritan story? Email me with your experiences on david.ellery@fairfaxmedia.com.au