Close to 1000 people packed Newcastle Christ Church Cathedral yesterday to say their final goodbye to Bradley Nichols, a man described as larger than life, who lived every day as if it were his last.

"Every day was the best day when you spent it with Brad," his wife Belinda Nichols said. "He celebrated life like no other man and above all he celebrated our love every day."

Mr Nichols, 33, a partner at Forsythes, collapsed from a suspected heart attack watching a first grade rugby union game between Wanderers and University at University No 1 Oval last Saturday.

He was revived twice but died later at the Calvary Mater Hospital.

Six months pregnant with their first baby, a girl, Mrs Nichols told of the unbreakable love she had shared with her husband and the memories she wished never to be lost.

"Please, write down your experiences and memories of Brad . . . anything I can give to our daughter."

Mr Nichols's brother Andrew thanked the large crowd who had shown immense support to Mrs Nichols and his family during such an emotional time.

"Thank you for your personal visits, the difficult phone calls you made, the flowers you sent and the messages we received," he said. "I will not make any sense of this tragedy. I can't. It defies all logic and it's cruel."

The church filled with laughter as Mr Nichols reminisced over childhood moments he shared with his "irreplaceable" younger brother, and the bond they held even as adults.

He then took a moment before he said: "Cherish the last moments you had with Brad, these memories will help keep Brad alive for us."

Friends told of the special connection Brad Nichols had with children that earned him the name "action man". They said he was always ready to give a piggyback ride or whatever the kids were up for, a quality that would have made him a wonderful dad.

Workmates spoke of a remarkable man who had an uncanny ability to bring cheer into any room, and above all was a "dear mate".

"His greatest fear was letting other people down," Forsythes colleague and friend Paul Hankinson said.

"We never got the chance to tell him we never knew a better man."

A representative from nearly every Newcastle rugby club and an outpouring of Wanderers were also there to farewell the teammate who had dedicated himself to the game he loved for the past 17 years.