There are so many people here who have come to share their love for Greg and I am grateful

to you
all. As I stand before you to speak, I find words very difficult to come by. I thought long and hard
about what I might say. I have been guided by you, your messages and words have meant so much
to my family and I and I thought I could speak to some of those sentiments and reminisces you have
shared.

I thought about how so many people knew of him and how he had encountered and touched so
many. My brother spent his entire career helping people, whether through getting a job, or
improving their health and fitness, or ensuring their safety. Marian posted a lovely photo of Greg in
one of his first jobs as a Bondi Lifesaver. Mark Gerber posted about his job working at the CES in
Darlinghurst. If I recall Mark, the job he got you was at Get Fat café? Greg had me working as the
night porter at the Crest Hotel at the time and when you went on to bigger things, I took the job
with the girls at Get Fat. I am sure there are others he helped negotiate getting dole payments or
lining up job interviews during that time. At least I hope he did… cause from memory he spent quite
a lot of his time using the photocopier to produce copies of the underground magazine ‘Real Gone’!
With Rick Stone, Sue and Johnny T he was running a cultural media empire out of the house in North
Bondi. Between long coffees at Tropicana, cruising in his Chrysler Royale and sneaking off to the Top
of The Town pool to work on his tan, I am reasonably sure Greg helped a few and I am glad to hear
Mark, that you were one of them.

Greg was not one for the 9-5. He quit the public service and pursued his passion which was working
in the fitness industry as his own boss. His business was of course a success. Greg was an inspiring
trainer. His knowledge and skills, his enthusiasm and engaging style won him many clients. Tracey
Hordern posted that ‘to know Greg was to love him’, and I know his clients felt this way. He got
results, flogged you hard and never tried to push any agenda. I was always badgering him about
developing a line of nutrients, videos and books and selling people shit on the internet…but he was
in his element one-to-one personal training. He was a published writer in magazines and online. I
have a work associate Simon Van-Wyk who posted he was an avid follower of Greg’s ‘Why Age?’
blog and had just made the connection.

Of course, he also worked in security. My brother was a gentle passivist who abhorred injustice and
violence, however being who he was he found himself in demand to supress bad behaviour and
work as a doorman. I was very young, but I do recall Greg wearing a hideous velour jacket and
heading off to work at the Eastern Suburbs Leagues Club. He also had a few shifts in the Cross at Les
Girls, The Talofa Club, and later at Propaganda with Terry Lewis. The night work suited him. He could
manage his own work hours and train clients in the week and work nights all weekend. As usual Greg
made many friends in the business. He took his job seriously and set out to better himself by
learning and training with Dale, and he was soon well known and respected throughout Kings Cross
and Oxford street. He, Dale, Jerry, Donna, Wally, Louise, Karen, James , Rory, Tux, Ben so many
others…controlled the doors at Sydney’s hottest nightclubs for years. Paul, Dave Milton, Ruth all the
owners trusted him and adored him. Sydney nightlife was once a thing and Greg had a lot to do with
that. On a lovely post Scotty Wolf and Stephen Ferris reflected on how safe Greg made them feel in
those heady days after dark in Inner Sydney in the 80’s and 90’s. I know there are many in the room
who might feel the same way.

But it wasn’t all work. Greg’s Music, Fashion and Art empire continued to thrive. He would spend his
time restoring his vintage ford ‘Miss Nannette’, going out dancing and listening to his favourite
bands, finding obscure eateries and spending time with family and friends. Many are here today.
Gene Bourke, amongst many others, posted reminding us all of just how fascinating, profound and
fun time with Greg can be…He had read everything written, travelled the world, performed in the
opera and acted on stage and screen.…He was the host with the most.
His friend Ben spoke about a fond memory of Greg being his ‘father’. Harv Jules spoke about how
Greg was a ‘Role model’, Tux called him a ‘mentor’ and a ‘giant’. Kind words. I know a wayward gang
of others - Rory, Joey, Beau, Gerard, James, Jason, Shakir… so many more….who all tell me they felt
the same…

My real father was a bit of a legend but distant to me. All through my teenage years I did my best to
‘smash it up’, I was a rotten punk and I found myself in some very dark places. Always Greg was
there. His nephew Chris posted about his mates at school being impressed by Greg. It made me
recall my suspension from Sydney Boys High School. Greg came to pick me up from the
headmaster’s office, thundered into the carpark on his custom Kawasaki 900R and strode through
the courtyard at lunch break with 1000 school boys all stopping and staring as one as he tossed me
the spare helmet… “That’s Ken’s brother’… He turned my moment of shame into a triumph. No
matter what shitty situation, and there were many! Greg would find me, feed me and clothe me.

My son Ty is almost 15 and he reminds me of Greg when I was his age. After being suspended from
school, I spent way too much time in a place called the Kenso pool hall. In a visit to a disco in Coogee
I had caused an incident by making out with the girlfriend of some local fella (doesn’t sound like
me!). He had raised a small army of the ‘Coogee Wogs’ and they were all heading in a convoy to
Kensington to bash me and show the ‘Kenso Boys’ who was boss. It was pandemonium in Duke
Street when they arrived. Word had got out - delegates from the Block at Redfern, Tommy Smith
stable hands all stinking of horse piss and a rag tag assortment of juvenile delinquents had turned
out to back me. We had recently been humiliated by the ‘Bra Boys and this was redemption! Oh, it
was on! Bottles and rocks were thrown, punches were flying, girls screaming…. Then Greg strode out
of Mum’s house in nothing but a towel straight out of the shower. He didn’t say anything, just stood
at the front gate with the streetlight burning down on him. Every kid stopped, turned around and
ran, or got in a car and peeled off in a cloud of smoke…

I have hundreds of these stories….

It wasn’t just his physicality that impressed. Greg could engage with any topic and speak with
reasoned and careful judgement about almost anything. He often praised me for my academic
success, but I always thought him to be the smartest guy in the room. My life wasn’t all gang fights
and hard knocks, Greg was my link to a time in our Family’s life when we were all together, living
under a tropical sun, swimming in warm seas and with nothing but laughter and love in our hearts…
He taught me how to drive, how to dress, how to dance, He showed me how to live life to its fullest
and inspired me in so many ways. He burnt bright illuminating the shadow of my distant father. He
was, as you all suspected, the greatest older brother anyone could ask for.

Many of you asked me why. What happened. How could our beloved Greg leave us? I have asked
myself that question over and over again. Greg dedicated his life to help people. For a time that
contribution was valued, his work afforded him a good life and I believe he was happy. Sydney is not
what it used to be. Things change, and time ticks on for us all. Greg was an incurable romantic and
has often dashed his ship on the shores of love. He had his highs and his lows and many of you in the
room will have lent an ear on occasion. No-one needs think that they could have done more, or if
only they had picked up the phone, or seen more of him. I know there is not a single person here
that would not have done all they could to help him, and there are many here who have supported
Greg in many amazingly generous ways. Greg was stoic, proud and independent, but he was a good
communicator and had many friends to talk to. The great shame is, my brother felt he had a solitary
life.
He recently competed in a bodybuilding competition, and through iron will, hard work and help from
his training partner Anthony, he honed himself to perfection. Greg was in the best shape of his life at
62 and awed us all with his self-discipline and commitment.

Greg’s considerable achievements are not those that are cashed at the bank. At his age Greg saw no
way out of a situation that had become insurmountable after years of struggle. He knew he had us
to turn too but he wanted to dictate his own terms. He said to me in his letter that he was
overwhelmed by debt and pressure and saw no future for himself. He had been ground down by
commitments but shown us all in his final months that he had superb control over his body and his
mind. He asked me to forgive him and I do.

My friend Rory reflected, “Greg was a Sydney icon, a treasure…in France they nurture their culture.
Greg was part of our culture and in many respects the city of Sydney let him down”

There was a lot about life in today’s society that Greg found distasteful. On a recent trip to the
Goulburn Aldi Greg suffered considerably from exposure to plastic packaging and cheap imports, we
had to leave immediately. He was a humanist, an environmentalist, a philosopher, an artist, a
scientist and often seemed to come from another time and place that somehow seemed gentler and
more benign. Everything seemed better when he was around. He could tune a motor, transform a
garden, build a rock sculpture then whip you up a healthy feast before a light workout and maybe a
swim. He was Tarzan, Superman, William Holden, Brando and Martha Stewart rolled into one, he
was the best man I have ever known, and I love him.

At times like these we break out the poetry. I don’t know any. But Greg and I were fond of the
classics so in the words of Marcus Aurelius.

Death is a release from the impressions of the senses, and from desires that make us their puppets,
and from the vagaries of the mind, and from the hard service of the flesh.

If it was a release Greg wanted, then he has it now…