Former All Blacks captain Sir John Graham to be farewelled today

Sir John Graham is being remembered at his funeral today as a husband and father, as an educator and a leader, whose passion made a difference in so many lives.

So said Anne Mills, Dean of Holy Trinity Cathedral, as preparations began for the 11am service at St Mary's church in Parnell.

Mourners, including former PM Sir John Key, former NZ cricketer Mark Burgess, and former All Blacks Mark Carter and Jeremy Stanley, are beginning to fill the cathedral.

Tributes flowed when Sir John died peacefully on Wednesday at the age of 82.

He was the headmaster at Auckland Grammar School from 1973 to 1993.

After that, he held a number of directorships, including at Renaissance Corp, The University Bookshop and Owens Group. He was chairman of the NZ Education Scholarship Trust and a long serving member of the Woolf Fisher Trust.

He was the founder of the Maxim Institute, a public policy think tank, which he directed from 2001 to 2009.

Sir John played 22 tests for the All Blacks, including three as captain, between 1958 and 1964, and was president of the New Zealand Rugby Union from 2005 to 2007. He was also the New Zealand cricket team manager from 1997 to 1999.

In 1999, Sir John was named New Zealander of the Year by North & South magazine, and in 2009 he received the Distinguished Citizen of Auckland Award.

-AAP