They had been a part of each other's lives for more than 40 years.
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But when it came to Kay Harvey's funeral on Tuesday, long term friend Brett Daniels was not able to give her the full send-off he wished he could.
Owing to the government's COVID-19 gathering restrictions and travel bans, Mr Daniels was one of only four mourners who could make it to the ceremony in Wagga.
"So many others would have been there, but many were in isolation or couldn't travel to be there, or couldn't come because we could only have 10 people," Mr Daniels said.
"We walked in, and there were just a few seats at the crematorium spread out completely."
Mr Daniels had travelled from his home in Sydney, leaving behind his wife, to attend the service. It meant that he had to very nearly grieve alone.
"We couldn't have a wake, we just had to say goodbye to each other at the crematorium," he said.
"I haven't had human touch since I came [to Wagga]. On Tuesday, I was balling my eyes out giving the eulogy. All I wanted to be a hug, but no one could touch me."
In the week prior to the funeral, a number of ordinary tasks associated with the ceremony had to be changed to fit the parameters of the new restrictions.
"The celebrant would normally have come to our house to arrange everything, but we had to do all of that over the phone," he said.
"We couldn't have a book to sign at the funeral, so we recorded on a computer who was there.
"We've had to have booklets printed and sent to everyone who would have been there so that they could all feel like they were part of it."
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Mr Daniels made the acquaintance of Mrs Harvey when he and his wife first moved to Sydney and became neighbours more than four decades ago.
"She used to call me her adopted son," he said.
"I'll always remember her huge sense of humour. She loved birds, she loved her garden, her craftwork and puzzles.
"More than anything else it was her wicked sense of humour. I used to say to the girls at The Haven [nursing home], 'if she gives it to you, give it right back to her'."
Although Mrs Harvey moved to Wagga 18 years ago, Mr Daniels and his family remained in close contact.
So strong was the relationship that Mrs Harvey made Mr Daniels a co-executor of her will.
By the time she died at age 82, she had made many friends in Wagga. Many who had hoped to join the celebration of her life on Tuesday.
"We couldn't have a [funeral] notice in the paper for her, so we had to call around and let everyone know," Mr Daniels said.
"It was very disappointing to a lot of people that they couldn't be there."
But despite the clinical reception and the multitude of restrictions that were adhered to, Mr Daniels is thankful he was afforded the time to farewell his friend at all.
"The way it's going, even with overseas like in Italy, funerals are happening every half hour it feels like but no one's there," he said.
"Even with everything we couldn't do, the people at Bance's [funeral directors], and at the crematorium were absolutely lovely. They were extremely good and bent over backwards to give us what we needed."
Scott Bance, director of John Bance & Son Funeral Home, said he has been heartened to see how families have adapted to the new restrictions.
"It feels unresolved for a lot of families," Mr Bance said.
"There's been a range of emotions from people. Some have been angry, others disappointed. But they're all doing the best they can within the restrictions.
"We've been live-streaming some of the ceremonies, or some of the families have decided they'll host a memorial service later when this is all over."
The tightening of crowd guidelines on the horizon, Mr Bance is pushing hard to ensure grieving families in Wagga can continue to comfort each other, even if restrictions intensifying.
"In New Zealand at the moment, the family can't gather at all to have a funeral," Mr Bance said.
"We certainly hope it doesn't get to that stage here.
"But we [the funeral directors of Australia] are lobbying the government to make funerals an essential service.
"It's unfortunate but, in all of this, there will come a time when funerals must be an essential service."