WELL-KNOWN radio personality Kay Howick has been farewelled with a celebration of life in a send-off her daughter says was fitting for the irascible and cheeky “Kay from the Bay”.
Kay, 74, died suddenly of cardiac arrest on April 19, just metres from her Cleveland home.
“She had coffee and cake with her girlfriend, walked 10 metres down the driveway and died right there,” her daughter Nellie Luhrmann said.
“She was discovered by a neighbour, and the ambulance was there 15 minutes from when she had been dropped off.
“It would have been quick and painless.”
In recent months, Kay had battled Covid-induced bronchitis and pneumonia, which had compromised her health.
Born in 1950, Kay was adopted by parents Jessie and Ernest Howick and grew up with her older brother Ron.
She reconnected with her birth family later in life.
“She had never bothered before because she was happy where she was at,” Ms Luhrmann said.
“But I was diagnosed with a clotting disease at age 15 and Mum wanted to find out if there was any family history.”
Kay moved to the Redlands in 1983 and quickly became active in the community, starting with the Birkdale South State School P&C and eventually finding her voice on community radio.
Her Bay FM program, which showcased hits from the 1960s and 1970s, aired every Saturday from 3pm to 6pm and was still running until her death.
She also served as Bay FM’s president and worked in the station’s office.
Bay FM announcer Tony Tranter said Kay was an integral part of the station.
“She was a part of the building,” he said.
“She had been here for so long and we all miss her terribly.
“We will move forward with our grief and do great radio in Kay’s name.”
Ms Luhrmann described her mother as being a “tough nut to crack”.
“She was opinionated,” she said.
“She had a hard exterior and could be tough and cranky, but once you got to know her, things were different.
“There were those who knew her and those who didn’t take the time to get to know her.
“Mum was cheeky with a great sense of humour.”
She said her mother was locally known for her quarter-strength cappuccino order.
“She also liked honey chicken and sweet and sour pork,” she said. Apart from that she was a meat-and-three-veg kind of girl.”
Kay was also a trivia enthusiast, regularly hosting trivia nights at Capalaba Bowls Club.
“One time she said an answer was wrong and she got in the car, went home and came back with the evidence just to prove the point,” Ms Luhrmann said.
A lover of books, rock ’n’ roll dancing, drag shows and drag bingo, Kay was known for her lively spirit.
“Her social life was better than mine,” Ms Luhrmann said.
She is survived by her two children and five grandchildren.
