Pemberton murder: Tony Ditri’s funeral to be held in the town today

Father-of three Tony Ditri will finally be laid to rest today, as his family pay tribute to the “true gentleman” and “pillar of the community”. Nearly a thousand people are expected to pack out the Pemberton Community Centre this afternoon for the beloved 40-year-old local handyman’s funeral. A sea of red, white and blue is expected to flood the little South West town, with attendees encouraged to wear jerseys of the Southerners Football Club — Mr Ditri’s home away from home. Mr Ditri’s mother Mary led the tributes to her son by thanking the community for their support. “(He was) a true gentleman, family man and pillar of our community,” she said. “Rest in peace Tony. Gone but never forgotten.” If he wasn’t at home with his wife Carrie-Ann and their three young children, or coaching Auskick kids at the local football oval, you’d find Mr Ditri clearing out gutters for the elderly. “He was a local handyman but he would always go the extra mile,” Mr Ditri’s childhood friend David Meehan told The West Australian. “There’s a lot of elderly people in town and he would fix things that they couldn’t do for themselves. He was such a warm, genuine guy — they would look forward to him coming around.” Mr Meehan — who is the president of the Southerners FC — said he would miss Mr Ditri’s tongue-in-cheek humour and extraordinarily big heart. “He’s left a huge gap in the club ... he’ll be irreplaceable.” Mr Ditri was reported missing on August 27 after he vanished during a trip to the tip and did not return home for dinner. His car was later found in bushland about 20km from the town site, and local farmer John Della Franca, whose property borders the tip, was later charged Mr Ditri’s murder. Police found Mr Ditri’s remains buried in a paddock near the tip last month after a member of the public made the grim discovery. The alleged murder devastated the community of the tight-knit timber town, but Mr Meehan said today Pemberton and Mr Ditri’s family can finally have some much-needed closure.