Whether as police officer, coach, friend, husband, father or grandfather, Garry Corcoran looked out for those around him.

The retired Wodonga senior sergeant has been remembered for the way he listened to people, built relationships, stayed calm and loved all ball sports, pigeon racing and, most of all, his family.

Mr Corcoran, 65, died last week after a short, private battle with cancer and his funeral on Friday was a necessarily small service watched by more than 370 people online.

Officers formed a guard of honour, observing social distance, as the hearse passed Wodonga Police Station.

Mr Corcoran, also known as Jack, Gaz and Ace among many nicknames, arrived at the Wodonga station in 1981 as a senior constable and worked in general duties.

In written tributes read out by his children, former colleagues told how his promotion to sergeant in 1998 was not only well-deserved, but "well and truly overdue".

Senior Sergeant Shane Martin said this position perfectly suited Mr Corcoran, who became a favourite among the officers.

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"He was the one sergeant, no matter how bad you might have mucked things up, that you could go and speak to without being judged," Senior Sergeant Martin said.

"He cared for everyone at the police station and no matter what he asked, even if you didn't want to do it, you would do it for Jack.

"He was someone you didn't want to disappoint."

Mr Corcoran became a senior sergeant in 2011 and officially retired in 2014 after 39 years as a police officer.

Originally from Junee, Mr Corcoran's football skills saw him recruited to South Melbourne in the VFL as a 17-year-old, despite growing up in rugby territory.

He played for Port Melbourne and Yarraville, winning a premiership with the latter at centre half back.

While in Melbourne, he met his future wife Eileen through work and they married in 1979.

The couple raised four children, Leigh, Tina, Grant and Reece.

A 1970s workmate had encouraged Mr Corcoran to join him in applying for the police force, but then only one of them was accepted.

Mr Corcoran served his early years in Melbourne before the family moved to Wodonga.

Retired Wodonga court register Peter Kellow wrote of Mr Corcoran's famous welfare checks all over Wodonga.

"Just keeping an eye on the community, his friends and family," Mr Kellow said.

"I've been on one of Jack's welfare drives, we only covered half the route and it still took nearly two hours."

Retired Detective Sergeant Peter Revell said he could relate to all walks of life, whether a business person or an aggressive offender.

"During his time, I found him to be a dedicated, no-nonsense, commonsense police officer, he was a mentor to junior members and, in fact, some senior members," the former colleague said.

Police prosecutor Wayne Taylor recalled how his friend's pigeon crate "fitted nicely" into the boot of the police vehicle and sometimes they took the opportunity to give the birds a run.

"Jack told the story of a trainee saying to him one day on one of these pigeon runs that he never realised that Brocklesby was in Victoria," Senior Constable Taylor said.

In 2013, Mr Corcoran had to tell his friend his mother had died in a car crash.

"There's no tougher job and Jack was there every step of the way, helping me through it.," the police prosecutor said, adding even this year Mr Corcoran had rung him on Mother's Day to see how he was going.

"Garry 'Jack' Corcoran is one of those you can feel privileged to meet, a man who enriched our lives and made us better just knowing him."

"Always cheeky, always smiling and always he'll be loved."

As a footballer, Mr Corcoran won a reserves premiership with Wodonga Bulldogs and later joined the then-Wodonga Demons.

As his children became teenagers, he began coaching the Wodonga Raiders thirds team.

"He was able to coach these boys to play football and also taught them how to become young men and respected men," his son Leigh told the mourners.

"The premiership side of 1994 was always talked about and mentioned at family get-togethers and always had Dad smiling.

"Garry Corcoran had a presence about him, a calmness, he was fair, he cared for people and their wellbeing, he was fun and cheeky and he loved being part of a team that got things done."

Mr Corcoran's family thanked everyone for the messages and anecdotes received in the past week, which highlighted his impact on those around him.

"Dad was a great police officer, I know this because everybody told me," Tina Way said.

"Whether Dad knew it or not, he provided guidance to so many.

"In many ways he held that role for our friends when we were growing up, he was there, he was easy to listen to, he was funny and our friends did listen."

Friday's service included tributes from his children and grandchildren and photos from his life as a police officer, family man, sports lover and, particularly in retirement, traveller.

With the funeral's end came a simple message: The shift is over, rest easy.