Tim Klingender memorial: Family remember ‘handsome devil’

Friends, family and Sydney’s socialites have farewelled renowned art dealer Tim Klingender in an emotional Bondi memorial. Klingender was killed in a boat crash last month.

Family, friends and art lovers honoured Tim Klingender at a memorial in Bondi on Friday. Picture: John Appleyard

Hundreds of family, friends and art lovers gathered to pay their respects to the late art dealer and “handsome devil” Tim Klingender.

Wife Skye McCardle and her children, Jonathan and Jessica, joined mourners at the Bondi Pavilion for a memorial service on Friday after a smaller, private funeral on Wednesday.

Klingender and his tech entrepreneur friend Andrew Findlay both died when their fishing boat overturned and smashed into ocean shoreline rocks near The Gap at Watsons Bay on July 20.

Speaking to mass of mourners who spilt out of the Bondi Pavilion at his beloved Bondi Beach, Klingender’s sister Jessica shared the story of his life as an accomplished Indigenous art dealer and a fun-loving brother.

“Can you believe that he’s gone? That man, that passion, the humour, the style, that force of nature, that comet as (art curator) Hetti Perkins called him, blazing through the atmosphere,” Jessica said.

Skye McCardle hugs another mourner at the memorial for her husband Tim Klingender. Picture: Julian Andrews

Artist Damon Downey with McCardle and others at the memorial on Friday. Picture: Julian Andrews

“Tim died at the top of his game, he had everything he wanted.”

Klingender’s daughter Bay, who is understood to be preparing for her HSC exams, gave a moving speech, remembering her dad as a generous and intelligent man.

“My dad was my best friend,” Bay said through tears.

“I miss telling him about my day, but more so hearing about his.

“If I could only have dinner with him one more time I would stay forever and never leave.

“I shall love and miss him until the day I die.”

Mourners shared stories about Tim’s glamorous and adventurous life, including a yearly lunch with friend David Attenborough, and name dropping his run-in with Grace Jones.

Tim Klingender was a leading advocate for Australian Aboriginal art. Picture: Renee Nowytarger

Hundreds turned up to honour Klingender. Picture: Julian Andrews

When working at Sotheby’s he was one of the first to report Melbourne couple Pamela and Ivan Liberto for forging Indigenous art. They were later jailed over the art fraud.

Klingender and friend Andrew Findlay were both not wearing life jackets when they took their high-end Brig boat out in choppy waters last month and triggered a large-scale search mission after they were flung from the boat.

NSW Police said both bodies were recovered.

Klingender’s wife Skye was in Nepal when news of her husband’s death broke, and has since reunited with her family in their eastern suburbs home.

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