A true gentleman, Mr Kenny passed away at his Nowra home, aged 79.

A proud Shoalhaven man, Brian was one of the region’s greatest assets and biggest and best spokespeople a region could ever have – he lived, loved and breathed all things Nowra and the Shoalhaven.

Brian Frances Kenny was born in Griffith on December 14, 1938 even though he wasn’t born here, as his brother-in-law John Ryan said “he was a real son of the Shoalhaven''.

A proud former Waverley College student, his standing as a Waverley ‘old boy’ was demonstrated with the college sending a cadet catafalque party to the funeral procession from the church.

A gesture Mr Kenny would have certainly been very proud of.

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His granddaughter Phoebe, who is based in Germany, spoke fondly of her grandfather being a valued member of the community and the Kenny family.

“He was the sort of man whose face absolutely lit up when he saw any of his family members,” she said.

“It didn’t matter if he saw you yesterday or last year, you always got a big, bright ‘hello’.

“He loved to listen and take an interest in everyone’s lives and it thrilled him every time someone in the family made another step towards their future, big or small.

“He was always happy to show people around the Shoalhaven and being such an active member of the community, he always had lots of positive stories to share.

“In fact, that’s the way I’d like to remember him – it’s as a happy and positive man who liked to focus on the good in people.”

Bomaderry Rotary Club member Paul Goodwin said he was honoured to be asked to share some words about Brian and, in particular, his involvement with club.

“When I asked members and friends to reflect on Brian and describe in a few words the person he was, I was overwhelmed but not surprised by the amazing response in how quickly people wanted to share their fondness and respect for this man,” he said.

“Consistently people shared the words: Ethical - Friendship - Passion - Loyalty - Sincerity - Kind/Welcoming - A great mentor - Organiser - Reliable - Thorough - Knowledgeable - Dessert/Sweets.

“Brian was often fondly referred to as a gentle giant.  His stature was well and truly matched by his love of desserts.

“Brian epitomised Rotary. Mostly softly spoken, he was a great orator, always ready with a thoughtful question but also able to bring depth and consideration to an introduction or thank you to someone.

“Brian was also a ‘doer’. If he said he was going to do something, he would invariably follow through. A quality rare today where we often have a lot of ‘gunnars’.

“Gunnar do this and gunnar do that but mostly do nothing. That was not Brian.

“He was also a compassionate and considerate person, thinking about others before himself, especially where young people, the less fortunate and the country people are involved.”

For many years Brian volunteered at the St Vincent de Paul men’s refuge at West Nowra, sleeping out there and helping the unfortunate men that ended up there.

“Brian found in hearing people’s stories that he contributed so much in club activities, organising many guest speakers, social outings and trips away for the club,” he said.

“He was a gentleman in the old sense of the word. We shall miss him greatly, his wisdom, his wit and his humility.”

Long-time friend Chris Neale said Brian was proud of his heritage and took a real interest in history, not only of his family, but of his relationship with all around him.  

“His encyclopedic knowledge of the farming population of the Shoalhaven was a great asset in his vocation as a stock and station agent, an auctioneer and a real estate agent,” he said.

“On many a drive with him around this area he could tell me the story of every place we passed.”

Mr Neale said he first met Brian when he was transferred to the Nowra office of the Lands Department in 1974.

“Brian loved a field trip and was always difficult to find in the office,” he said.

“He became a legend by producing the fastest lunch in the bush - soup, sausages, instant mashed potato and tinned peas and, of course, apple pie and billy tea - all cooked and consumed within the hour.  

“Senior executives in the department vied with each other for the opportunity to enjoy one of these lunches.

“One slightly annoying trait he had was a lack of time management and he was often late for an appointment.  However, he always had a genuine excuse that he had been forced to take another call.

“One of Brian's pet hates was the computer and, although I spent countless hours trying to keep him up to date, it was a losing battle.  His brain was far too active for pure logic.

“Brian was always great fun to be with and his enthusiasm for any task was infectious.  

“His memory was outstanding - with the occasional help of his little black book full of contacts and notes to remind him of his many projects.

“His trip to France last year to see the site of World War I battles and where his Uncle Bede won the VC was inspirational to all who knew him and he was truly astounded by the gallantry and sacrifices made by our troops.”

Brian Kenny is survived by his wife Mary, of Jonathan Rogers House, his children Mark, Paul and Sonya and grandchildren Phoebe, Lucy, Charlotte, Elliott, Finn, Dom, Bellamy, Scarlett and Ania.

On a personal note I was privileged to have known Brian Kenny for a number of years.

His knowledge of the local area was superb and his willingness to share that knowledge was fantastic and much appreciated.

It was never a worry for him to have a chat and impart some of his wisdom, in particular the history of the area.

A true gentleman he never had a bad word to say against anyone and I was lucky and privileged to be able to do a number of stories with him over the years, in particular on his his uncle Bede Kenny and his Victoria Cross.

Vale Brian Kenny