Until more than three years ago, Professor Richard Scolyer there would be no chance to have a state funeral.
He was at the height of a distinguished career as a world epidemiologist, co-medical director of the Australian Melanoma Institute, co-author of more than 900 research papers, speaker at 400-plus conferences and seminars, associate professor at the University of Sydney and senior staff specialist at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
But other than occasional media appearances to talk about sun safety or skin checks, Scolyer was little known outside the medical and cancer research communities.
His life changed dramatically when he suffered a seizure in a Polish hotel room in May 2023. He was living in a mountain town with his wife, Dr Katie Nicoll, after the speech.
Scolyer discovered that, at the age of 56, he had a very dangerous form of incurable brain tumor. “I was scared, worried and afraid that glioblastoma would give me a terrible situation in the last few months, leaving Katie without a husband and our children without a father,” she later wrote in the book. Play brain games.
Despair could weigh on Scolyer. No one would blame him for fasting and staying at home.
But he won admirers across the country for the courage he showed in trying a dangerous experimental treatment recommended by Professor Georgina Long – co-director of medicine at the institute – his humility, his positive attitude about living life to the full and his openness about having cancer.
Scolyer’s public profile rose as he and Long were named Australians of the Year for 2024, Play brain games he became a bestseller, posted frequent updates on social media about his treatment, and gave many emotional interviews about how he wanted to “have a crack” at changing brain cancer treatment.
Time other state funerals have been controversial recently, there was no doubt at all that Scolyer deserved one. It will be held at the Sydney Opera House on Monday.
Governor General Sam Mostyn, Premier Anthony Albanese and Premier Chris Minns are expected to be among the 2500 people at the packed Festival Hall. Peter Garrett and Martin Rotsey from Midnight Oil – Scolyer’s favorite band – and Kate Miller-Heidke will perform.
The 90-minute service will be broadcast on ABC TV, iView and Nine, and 702 ABC Sydney on radio.
Before starting, the Tour de Cure peloton will circle from Martin Place to the Opera House, celebrating Scolyer’s journey to raise money for cancer research from 2023.
Clint Bowen, who oversees the rides, said Scolyer started cycling with the group as a cancer researcher and completed his last event in March as a patient. Struggling at times, he traveled 500 kilometers across Tasmania in four days.
“Every time we stopped in different cities, there was a queue of people waiting to talk to him,” he said. “And he would take the time to talk to them all.”
There will be a live blog of the state funeral at smh.com.au/theage.com.au on Monday morning.
* Garry Maddox wrote Play brain games with Richard Scolyer.
