Standing room only for funeral of Keith Brown as Melbourne’s creative community turn out in force

It was Standing Room Only for the funeral of Keith Brown yesterday. Mourners paid their last respects to Brownie (pictured), Melbourne’s lovable larrikin art director who died one month shy of his seventhieth birthday after a long battle with diabetes.

Eulogies were delivered by former agency mates, David Anderson and Alf Robinson plus sincere and touching tributes from Keith’s children.

Stories related to how Keith, the boy from Bendigo arrived in Melbourne, joined the Navy Graphics department, then onto Art Associates, Anderson White Advg/TWP and then freelance. When not developing campaigns and instant storyboards he travelled Australia winning motor bike races.

Brownie’s son Will played a appropriate guitar instrumental of ‘Ghost Riders in the Sky’.

Melbourne’s creative community, circa 1970-2000 – turned out out in record numbers to say goodbye including Tony White, Matt Francis, Christine Weller, Dennis Edlin, Plastic Pemberton, Leon Bushaud, John O’Keefe, Mike Perry … and countless numbers of familiar faces.

In an creative twist – typical of Brownie’s left of centre thinking – the congregation and coffin moved outside St Silas Church for Final Prayers prior to Archdeacon Ray McInnes walking down Bridport Street followed by the hearse and coffin.

Again, the farewell music was appropriate:

                              It’s quarter to three,

                                And one more for the road