Sir Douglas Myers saluted at Auckland memorial

True to character, Sir Douglas Myers' memorial was a celebration of the man who achieved so much in his life.

The long-time chief executive of Lion Breweries, business advocate and philanthropist died in London last week, aged 78, after an almost four-year battle with cancer.

In a reflection of the impact Myers had on both the business and philanthropic community, hundreds turned up to Holy Trinity Cathedral in Parnell, Auckland, this afternoon to share their stories and pay their respects to the man described as "one out of the box".

Family friend Reverend Warner Wilder, who took the service, who described Myers as a visionary and a deep thinker.

Myers' early adulthood was dedicated to business. Following in the footsteps of his father, Sir Kenneth, and grandfather Sir Arthur, Myers took on the role of chief executive at Campbell & Ehrenfried which eventually became Lion Nathan.

Four years after selling his Lion shareholding to Japanese brewer Kirin in 1998, Sir Douglas moved to live in London, although he continued to spend time on the family farm at Matauri Bay in Northland.

According to friend and colleague Mike Smith, if Myers had his way he would have died on the farm - something which almost happened on several occasions.

Aside from a well-publicised 18-metre fall in 2014 which left Myers with nine broken bones, Smith also detailed several car and quad-bike crashes - as well as a battle with the local "giant eel", which took a chunk out of Myers' leg necessitating a helicopter ride to hospital in Auckland for treatment.

In the words of his daughter Jessica Kimmel, Myers "didn't believe in safety helmets or seatbelts", viewing health and safety as a barrier to having fun.

A courageous and careful businessman, Myers was someone who took risks only after careful consideration and extensive due diligence, according to Smith, who said the entrepreneur succeeded against the odds.

Myers was made a CBE in 1991 for his services to business management and was knighted in 2010.

Besides his accomplishments in the brewing industry, Sir Douglas put $3 million into the University of Auckland's Kenneth Myers Arts Centre, created the Sir Douglas Myers Scholarship worth $100,000 a year to study at Cambridge University, and supported the University of Auckland's business school.

Described by daughter Kimmel as a conundrum, Myers was an introvert who became a prolific public speaker.

"Yes, he could be bombastic, but I think his intent was to be direct and real," Kimmel said. "For a man who didn't need to be liked, he liked people and underneath the gruffness he was incredibly kind."

According to Kimmel, when asked how he wanted his memorial to be, Myers had replied that he didn't give a toss because he would be dead.

"In his own quiet way he would have been pleased with everyone here and the people that reached out to him to tell him how he had impacted their lives," Kimmel said.

Long-time friend Peter Thomas said it was hard to sum up the kind of person Myers was, but in three words he was generous, passionate and sincere.

Myers' dedication was also touched on - to friends as well as business. He is survived by his wife, Lady Barbara, children Jessica, Laura and Campbell and nine grandchildren.