A true gentleman whose real gift was in establishing a human connection

Brian Marcus Peck

8-5-1941 – 10-4-2015

Brian Marcus Peck, 74, died peacefully at home on 10 April 2015, with his loving wife Thai by his side.

Brian’s long career in communications began straight after school as a journalist at the Oakland Star in New Zealand. He then worked for 10 years with ABC News, including a stint as a foreign correspondent in war-torn Vietnam.

A number of public affairs roles followed that saw him travel the world. He spent 11 years in Jakarta as a Public Affairs Diplomat with the Australian Government, was the Deputy Executive Director, Communications and Marketing Manager for the Australia business arts Foundation, and he also worked with beyondblue.

When Brian joined Independent Schools Victoria as the Communications Advisor in 2005, I gratefully gained the benefit of his experiences and his accumulated wisdom. The man I knew was a diplomat; he had learned the skills of bringing people together, the power of human connection, the art of giving more than you take.

Brian had a talent for getting to the point without waffle, and in the communications field there was little that he had not seen or done before. He felt strongly about the power of education, and was a fierce advocate for the rights of the child.

That is not to say he was a saint! He did get frustrated at times with jargon, with small mindedness, with people who focused on small issues at the expense of the bigger picture. Nor was he was afraid to use the odd colourful phrase (particularly when supporting his beloved Sydney Swans!).

And yet, since his death, I have received emails from journalists, colleagues and many others, telling me how much Brian has meant to them; the words ‘wise, gentlemanly, gentle, enlightened and polite’ figure strongly in these messages.

When I asked Thai about Brian, she told me that to understand Brian I needed to know that he was raised with an abundance of love. Lisha, who he always regarded as his true mother, never failed in her love for the blond haired, blue-eyed boy she could not leave in his orphanage cot.

Brian is survived by his wife, Thai, and four children and their partners: Marcus and Della, Adam and Steph, Sam and Rochelle and Mai Lien and Chris. He is also survived by several grandchildren who adored him.

Thank you, Brian, God bless, and may you cheer on the Sydney Swans to a Grand Final win. In the fullness of time.

Michelle Green was Chief Executive of Independent Schools Victoria from 2002–2023.