Kay McGrath farewells beloved fiancé Richard Moore after overseas tragedy
Hundreds of mourners have gathered in Brisbane to farewell the fiancé of Kay McGrath with the popular TV presenter paying tribute to his “loyalty and free spirit”.
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Popular TV personality Kay McGrath has farewelled her “loyal, brave and wonderfully free spirited” fiancé Richard Moore in a memorial service in Brisbane.
Mr Moore, 69, died suddenly of a heart attack while travelling with Ms McGrath on a dream holiday in India on February 6.
“We didn’t have a lifetime together, but we had the time of our lives together,” the Channel 7 presenter and former newsreader said.
Ms McGrath, 68, told the crowd at Hillstone St Lucia on Saturday Mr Moore “had me at ‘hello’ and landed me with his generous heart, adventurous spirit and the fact he so easily loved and supported my sons”.
“I’m truly grateful I had him in my life for the last 10 and a bit years; he was teaching me how to ‘let go’ and just ‘go with the flow’.”
Hundreds of people attended, including Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski and predecessors Katarina Carroll and Bob Atkinson, MPs Di Farmer and Sandy Bolton, former Governor-General Quentin Bryce – who McGrath succeeded as co-chair of the Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Council – and Bruce and Denise Morcombe (Ms McGrath is patron of the Daniel Morcombe Foundation).
Also present were media personalities including Max Fucher, Vanessa Fowler (Allison Baden-Clay Foundation) and Queensland Public Service Commissioner David Mackie and Victims’ Commissioner Beck O’Connor.
Ms McGrath’s eulogy was poignant and peppered with humorous anecdotes.
“Like the time Ricky wandered into the Galle cricket ground in Sri Lanka and mentioned to the security guard that he’d played cricket for Adelaide (primary school) and was promptly invited in and treated as a VIP guest during a test match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan”.
“Or how he happily signed autographs in Las Vegas where he was mistaken for Kirk Douglas.”
Mr Moore, a former state manager of the Planning Institute of Australia and of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, loved adventure.
“One small consolation of losing Richard is that he passed away doing what he loved,” Ms McGrath said.
“We were exploring a fascinating and compelling country … and had just visited the magnificent Taj Mahal in Agra, built as a symbol of love and described as ‘heaven on earth’.”
Ms McGrath said the couple were “in tune”.
“We loved each other very much and had found our rhythm.
“So often he’d tell me he was proud of me and what I was up to. He was always encouraging me to get out of my comfort zone.
“He was physically strong and positive – there was no hint of what was to come.”
Mr Moore’s daughter Perri, his sister Sally Rowlands and several friends also spoke at the service, and Ms McGrath’s sons Nick and Joey Kirmos were among the pallbearers.
Ms Moore said her father loved to dance, travel and they had “a powerful bond”.
“Dad always showed up emotionally and physically,” she said.
“You were my rock.”
Ms McGrath and Mr Moore had planned to have a joint 70th birthday celebration overseas next year.
Ms McGrath read the news for more than three decades and in 2017 was awarded an OAM for her contribution to child protection and media.
Originally published as Kay McGrath farewells beloved fiancé Richard Moore after overseas tragedy
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