AS Danny Egan demonstrated throughout his life, sometimes actions speak louder than words.
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So at Monday's funeral service for the much-loved Newcastle mountain bike rider and charity fundraising dynamo, Danny's middle child, Rhyli, taught the mourners a special family greeting that symbolised love and peace.
It involved tapping your hand on your chest twice before forming the peace sign.
"I'd love everyone to learn ... our handshake, so Dad can have peace and love from us all," the 11-year-old said.
As the coffin was taken out of the concert hall in Newcastle City Hall, about 700 mourners tapped a hand close to their heart, then held it aloft to signify "peace".
So Daniel Joseph Egan left that auditorium in the manner he had moved through life. With love and peace.
And he was farewelled with not just words but actions.
Danny Egan's life was filled with action.
He didn't stop. Until he was 40, he often worked two jobs simultaneously, in finance and bar work. He was a husband to Jodie, a father of three. He studied. He made time for friends, for charity, for a laugh - and for bike riding.
"Sometimes I wondered how you fitted so much into your life," said Jodie Egan, wearing a bright shirt her husband of 16 years had given her. "'Work hard, play hard' was your motto."
Read more: Danny Egan's life of generosity
It all came to a tragic end on the night of July 10.
The 51-year-old died after falling off his bike while crossing the light rail tracks in Newcastle East. What exactly happened is still being investigated.
Danny Egan had been watching the State of Origin rugby league match on television at a bar with long-time friends Mitch Hudson and Wayne Bennetts. They both spoke at the funeral, thanking those who were first on the scene, helping Danny.
He may have died as a result of a bike crash, but for Danny Egan, riding was such a big part of his life. The service reflected that. His coffin was draped in his cycling jerseys and crowned with bike helmets. A number of the mourners wore riding clothes.
Yet the service also made clear that Danny Egan didn't simply live to ride. He lived, he rode, he did just about everything, to be with people. To help people. He loved people. In turn, people from all walks of life adored him.
"If you knew Danny for five minutes, five days, for five years, or 50 years, you got the same Danny. One hundred per cent of Danny," Mitch Hudson said in the eulogy he gave.
One mourner, Richard Jones, the CEO of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service, told the Newcastle Herald that Danny Egan was "an outstanding human adored by many; an impressive and affectionate fellow".
The helicopter service had benefited from Danny Egan's love of combining mountain bike riding with fundraising.
For about 14 years, Danny Egan had returned to his hometown of Tamworth to participate in the annual Ride for the Chopper event. He had raised many thousands of dollars for the service. In the course of those long, arduous rides, he had also collected an army of friends.
Dozens of members of the "Ride Family" had travelled great distances to attend Danny Egan's funeral.
"It will be a big hole," said Amy Hine, who had driven from near Uralla. "We can't share his laughter anymore, but we can share in his memories."
Another charity rider and friend, Michael Wilson, from Tamworth, recalled, "If you were struggling, he'd ride back next to you, tell you a story, and next thing you'd know, you were over the hill."
As a mark of respect, the Hunter rescue helicopter flew over City Hall at the end of the service, and a group of cyclists, including Ride for the Chopper participants, formed a guard of honour.
"Giving was essential to Danny," friend Peter Kembrey said in his eulogy. "It was an essential part of who he was. It was how he engaged people."
His generosity helped Danny win Jodie's heart in 1999. He courted her by leaving a bunch of flowers on her doorstep each week until he realised that, being a student, Jodie would perhaps prefer food. So he began leaving a bag of groceries.
"I thought to myself, 'Nobody can be this generous'," she said. "But he was."
Danny Egan may have been a man of action, but his wife used words to express what he meant to her.
"You were so many things to me, Danny," Jodie Egan said. "Strong, courageous, kind, caring, generous, big-hearted, compassionate, daring, adventurous.
"I'm so sad but so proud of you. I love you. We all love you. Until we meet again."
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