Nelson’s work lives on in the hearts of many

By Katharyn Brine | August 22, 2015 at 9:39 pm 1 Comment

AN ESTIMATED crowd of about 700 friends and family of the late Kim Nelson paid tribute to his extensive contributions to art, music, community altruism and humorous childhood life experiences, during an inspirational farewell celebration earlier today.

Kim died of a stroke last Wednesday, and had been suffering from an undiagnosed case of pneumonia which he and wife Therese knew nothing about.

Six eulogies were delivered, describing everything from Kim’s formative years, through his adolescence and how he came to be one of Yass’ (or Wee Jasper’s, as MC Emo Parsonson would have the audience believe) most popular community members.

His daughter Caitlin delivered her mother’s eulogy, describing how Kim and Therese first met.

“Kim… would often be at parties. I always thought he was interesting, a bit mysterious, a rockstar and way out of my league.  We started going out after I told him I had a crush on him, and he laughed at me.”

She described him as mercurial, steadfast, loyal and preoccupied, “he was right there with me one hundred per cent and then out the door the next minute following up an idea that he’d had”.

“His mind was always so active, in fact he had trouble shutting it off and I would often find him sitting up at 3am working on something, often for a friend or associate.”

She described moving in with Kim when he lived at Cooma Cottage.

“We had such fun there and made such great friends, but I am sure that if Hamilton Hume could have seen some of the parties we had after hours, he would not be amused!”

“The cottage was often jumping with music and life, from classical music to weddings and exhibitions and the wild… parties in the loft, and the cricket on the lawn.

“Kim was always first up in the morning… making sure that everything was ready for the bus load of National Trust visitors.”

Later moving out to Mountain Creek, it remained their home for 20 years.

“The hills at Mountain Creek were often resounding with the sounds of young laughter.”

She was proud of the way he brought friend Rosmary Hodgkinson’s Oddfellows Hall to life.

He loved sharing it with other artists, musicians, sculptors and community members, and was always busy.

“The stress of all this hard work took its toll on Kim and we were having a quiet year. He was however plagued with Tennis Elbow which made it impossible for him to work as he would have liked.”

“His wonderful life was cut short, his active, brimming mind silenced, and we are all the poorer and sadder – and in my case bereft.

“He was an amazing friend and soulmate, he was Caitlin’s amazing, caring, funny, clever dad and he loved us so much. We shared the same silly sense of humour and so many fantastic friends.”

Kim’s siblings reminisced on their childhood with Kim and MC Emo Parsonson had the crowd chuckling constantly with his own eulogy.

Friends Anne Hind and Al Phemister described his many ideas to support young and upcoming artists and musicians, crediting him with masterminding Night in the Lane and YASSarts and throwing his endless energy into Classic Yass, Turning Wave Festival, Sculpture in the Paddock and the YASSarts Trail, to name a few.

“Sally Hopman wrote an obituary… and said Kim had joked about becoming rich and famous – or not!” Ms Hind said.

“People who saw his work wondered why he wasn’t. But his friends knew – had he spent less time bringing art to a rural community, had he not been so generous with his time with young artists, had he painted what he knew the art market was jumping on instead of what he was fighting, had he been less of a husband, father and friend, he probably would have been.

“But to those that knew him, he was there richest of men.”

“How will we remember him? Each of us in our own way, when we look at a cloud-filled sky, when we pick up a paintbrush, pencil, pen or guitar, when we see a pair of Dunlop Volleys,” she said.

“His legacy was to energise and enhance the arts community in Yass. “

Mayor Rowena Abbey said it was Kim’s diligence and attention to detail that set him apart. 

Musical tributes were performed by Tim Kirk and his family and friends, harpist Alice Giles performed a mesmerising En Bateau, Claude Debussy and David Pereira gave a haunting rendition of The Sicilienne of Maria Thera von Paradis. 

There were performances from the many young musicians Kim so readily mentored including Siobhan McGrath, Aluntum Sudnit, Orion Mandla and Eliza Hickey playing Man of Colours, by Icehouse.

Chad Croker, Daniel McFeeters, James Southwell, Ken McNally and Time Furner paid tribute by way of one of Kim’s favourite performers Gotye, with Learnalilgivinanlovin.

Find audio of parts of the celebration below.

AUDIO: Caitlin Nelson and Therese van Leeuwen eulogy.

AUDIO: Al Phemister and Anne Hind eulogy.

AUDIO: Emo Parsonson eulogy.

AUDIO: Rowena Abbey eulogy.