Governor General Sam Mostyn, television personalities Richard Roxburgh, Julia Morris, and Gretel Killeen were among the hundreds who gathered at Sydney Town Hall on Friday to celebrate the life of ABC radio host James Valentine. The broadcaster and musician, who hosted ABC Sydney's Afternoon show for 25 years, died last month at the age of 64.
The event, broadcast live on ABC Radio, was hosted by former ABC broadcaster and close friend Richard Glover. Former ABC managing directors Mark Scott and David Anderson, as well as current managing director Hugh Marks, attended. Marks described Valentine as a "master of the art" and said his work was "a huge contribution to the legacy that is the ABC."
ABC listener Jacqueline Brewer, who never met Valentine in person, spoke of him as a "familiar voice" in her life. Former ABC broadcaster Margaret Throsby read out some of the thousands of texts received since Valentine's death, noting the "overwhelming tidal wave of love and sadness." Chef Matt Moran recalled his devastation upon learning Valentine's cancer was terminal, saying, "None of us were ready to face it, he did and somehow he made us too."
Valentine's children, Ruby and Roy, paid moving tributes. Ruby said her father embraced their interests "as if they were the most important thing in the world." Roy, a musician like his father, said Valentine's decision to use voluntary assisted dying "completely reflected his life – open and honest, kind and warm, family-focused." Musicians Jimmy Barnes and Mahalia Barnes performed 'You've Got a Friend', and Paul Kelly sang 'Meet Me in the Middle of the Air'. The funeral procession featured 'When the Saints Go Marching In' in the New Orleans jazz tradition.
