1200 turn out for funeral of private man

Michael Erceg kept a low profile while building a business empire.

Michael Anthony Erceg, 49, was a private man, keeping a low profile while boosting that of his alcopop business.

At his funeral, many of the 1200 people in Parnell's Holy Trinity Cathedral would have learned for the first time what made the multimillionaire tick.

Before the service yesterday morning two overhead screens inside the cathedral and two others outside flashed images of a family-focused life: group dinners, holidays in sunny places, Mr Erceg's wedding to Lynne.

The congregation, including most of Independent Liquor's 250-odd staff, learned that as a child Mr Erceg spent much time with his cousins; they helped out at the family's west Auckland vineyard and enjoyed family holidays in Northland, with Ngawha Springs a regular fixture.

Cousin Diane Sinkovich said that as a youngster, Mr Erceg, an animal-lover, had a pet goat called Fluffybum that vanished soon after raiding mother Millie's vegetable garden. No-one was ever sure if it ended up on their dinner plates.

Mr Erceg played his accordion, dreadfully, at 6.30am in the morning, she recalled, and was very possessive of his favourite things, especially his train set.

He massacred jokes, and for someone with a big maths brain - he had a PhD in the subject - never got his head around card games. He was vegetarian most of his adult life, she said.

None of Mr Erceg's immediate family - mother Millie, wife Lynne, stepson Matthew, sister Vinka, and brother Ivan - spoke at the service, which featured Forever Young by Rod Stewart and I Want It All by Queen.

The family's anguish was inscribed on the service programme: "So much loved, so much to live for, so much still to give. But not to be."

Mr Erceg and his flying companion, Dutch brewery executive Guus Klatte, 38, died three weeks ago after Mr Erceg's helicopter crashed near Mt Karioi. The wreckage was found last Saturday.

Mr Erceg was intelligent, gentlemanly and generous, said speakers - and had various nicknames, "Percy" among them. He was focused on his business and worked all hours, taking laptop and cellphone on holiday.

Colleague Gary Major said that staff knew to gauge Mr Erceg's body language from the door to his office: if he was rubbing one temple, it was best to nip in but keep things concise. If he was rubbing both temples, it was wise to stay clear. Colleagues always knew when a plan didn't appeal: "What's the next idea?" he would ask.

Independent Liquor director Roger Smith described the early days of Mr Erceg's empire, when fortunes were such that the company's first sales conference was held in the spartan Camp Adair in the Hunua Ranges.

At 1.30am one morning, while staff were still enjoying company products around a fire, Mr Erceg emerged from his dorm and growled at them to get to bed. Eight grown men had never moved so fast, said Mr Smith.

Yet Mr Erceg was humble, often serving refreshments to business visitors himself. At one meeting, having done just that, he sat down and said: "let's start the meeting". One of the visitors remarked: "shouldn't we wait for Michael Erceg?"

He has been buried at Waikumete Cemetery.

Guus Klatte's body is being taking back to the Netherlands.