John Elliott farewelled in private funeral after death at 79

Former Carlton president and Liberal Party heavyweight John Elliott was farewelled in a funeral with 10 mourners, due to Melbourne’s Covid restrictions.

John Elliott with radio host son, Tom.

Business and sporting identity John Elliott has been laid to rest with just 10 mourners able to attend the iconic Melburnian’s farewell owing to Covid lockdown restrictions.

Elliott’s private funeral was held on Friday, October 1 with family and close friends able to join the 10 present at the service via a livestream.

The former Carlton Football Club president and Liberal Party heavyweight died on September 23 aged 79.

Elliott’s son Tom said he was planning for a bigger celebration of his father’s life next year.

“We are hoping to have memorial, a bigger public one, and I have started plans but I can’t give you a date because it all depends on our good friends at Spring Street,” the top rating 3AW Drive host said.

“Hopefully we will be able to do something early next year.”

He said he believed his father would have been happy with his funeral despite the limited numbers.

“We had a funeral with 10 people and other family members were able to live stream it,” he said.

“It was a lovely funeral, everybody who spoke really well, everything technically went well, and dad would have liked it – it was just a bit sad because there was only 10 of us.

“There are many, many people who have had to go through the same thing.”

Tom said his father was unique and dearly missed.

“Unfortunately they broke the mould with dad, we are unlikely to see someone like him again.”