Brian John Anderson was a much-loved pharmacist, family man, sports enthusiast and community worker.

The 85-year-old died at Dubbo Private Hospital at 8pm on June 27. A requiem mass at St Brigid's Catholic Church on Wednesday was followed by a private burial at Warren on Thursday.

Mr Anderson was a pharmacist at Warren for half-a-century. He moved to Dubbo after his wife Barbara was killed in a motor vehicle accident in 2001.

Eldest son Mike, also a pharmacist, described his father as beautiful, kind, generous and affectionate.

"Dad was a man of incredible compassion who loved people," Mike said.

"He was intelligent, bright and bouncy and always enthusiastic. A wonderful communicator, he had the innate ability to make whoever he was talking to feel like the most important person in the world.

"Dad couldn't go anywhere in Dubbo without people stopping to say hello. He always remembered names, never forgot a face and knew all the family connections.

"It must have taken up a lot of energy on his part, but Dad always had something kindly and friendly to say.

"It was all about him wanting to care and nurture. Compassion and resilience were some of Dad's strongest assets even when he suffered tremendous personal tragedy, including the early death of his father, the drowning of a grandson, the death of daughter following childbirth and the accident that claimed his wife.

"Any one of those things would have crushed a mere mortal but dad didn't just survive - he continued to support his family and remained a nice person."

Mike said his father suffered a massive stroke during a visit to Griffith.

Minutes earlier he had been kicking a soccer ball around.

"Dad came inside and said he couldn't feel his leg. He fell over and was unconscious by the time the ambulance arrived. Hospital scans showed a massive bleed in the brain."

Mr Anderson was airlifted to Dubbo where family members provided around-the-clock care for a week.

"It became very obvious we would have to look after Dad palliatively because there was no chance of him recovering," Mike said.

"Dad died with all of us around. It was very peaceful. We were honoured to be able to look after him. At age 85, Dad had a good life. He was the longest living Anderson in our line. The others had died of heart disease a lot earlier."

Mr Anderson was born in the residence above the pharmacy in Dubbo Street, Warren in 1930.

The business had been established two years earlier by his parents, Frank Wellington Anderson and Eileen (nee Clee) Anderson.

"Dad was only 12 when his father died," Mike said.

"His mother ran the pharmacy under management while Dad completed his education at St Stanislaus College in Bathurst and studied pharmacy at the University of Sydney.

"When Dad graduated all his friends went overseas for a year. Dad couldn't go because he had to rush home to take over the pharmacy."

Mr Anderson quickly established himself as valued member of the Warren community. He married Barbara McAlary, the daughter of a prominent pastoral family. The couple had six children.

"Dad was very active in the community and was part of every group and organisation," Mike said.

"The local pharmacist was expected to be involved and Dad was happy to oblige.

"He was a great family man who loved spending time with his children. He was also very involved in sport because he liked to be active and fit.

"During his school days Dad played in the First XV rugby union, rugby league and cricket. He was a champion athlete and swimmer.

"At university he played football under an assumed name when his mother expressed concern about the possibility of injury and the need to devote time to his studies.

"Dad played first grade rugby league and rugby union when he returned to Warren. He was always busy and did everything at a thousand miles an hour.

"Dad was still interested in sport when he moved to Dubbo and started to develop new friendships.

"He met Gilgandra woman, Jan Armstrong, whose husband had died a number of years earlier. They had 11 happy years together.

"Dad was very active in veterans' golf and loved going to the movies and theatre and cultural events. He was never happier than driving in his V8 car, getting on a plane or train, seeing new places and meeting new people.

"Despite his achievements, Dad was a very modest man and he would have been embarrassed by all the things that were said during his funeral.

"Dad had a big impact on a lot of people. We are missing him madly."

Mr Anderson was the father of Mike, Tony, Sally, Suzie, Caroline (deceased) and Peter. He was the brother of Denise (deceased) and a loved grandfather and great-grandfather.