Sam Eastall was due to be Max’s best man at his wedding. Instead follows edited excerpts from Sam’s speech at Max’s funeral which took place on the 14th October in the Chapel at Brompton Cemetry, London:

“First of all can I say how pleased Max would be to see so many people missing work on his behalf.

And if he knew we were all off to the pub before lunchtime he’d be even more delighted.

Thanks to those of you who have travelled from the US, Hong Kong, Malaysia, all over the place - all of you who have had to cancel plans and make arrangements in order to be here, thank you. 

When asked by Suzanne and Jane to do a tribute to Max here today, I knew immediately that mere words could never possibly be a fitting tribute in themselves. I think going forward the greatest tribute to such a special man will be all of us having Max’s radiant smile in our minds eye so when things aren’t going well we can just see that reassuring smile willing us on. That’s perhaps more of a fitting tribute…

…To call Max outgoing would be an understatement. Or simply gregarious, caring, kind - any  adjective is woefully inadequate when it comes to paying tribute to Max…..

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…Max had the rare gift of not just being good at things in life but through his charm and abilities he made sure those around him felt that little bit happier for having him around….

…Over the last few weeks I’ve realised that it wasn’t just me who Max affected in such a deep way. The messages and stories I have heard have made me realise the far reaching impact of Max’s friendships with a huge number of people - even some who he had only met relatively briefly…

…Max was an extremely passionate man. He had no room for the mundane or the banal. His humour was second to none…

…It was that sense of the absurd that got us into trouble many times when we were meant to be taking things seriously..

…Max was a natural leader who was happy to take a back seat and see others flourish. He was one of the strongest people I have ever met but never used that strength against anyone. Well, not before giving several clear warnings anyway.. He was also a man of deep caring and huge generosity who never failed to help people regardless of his situation…

…Creativity was central to Max’s life in a variety of forms, its how he met and worked with a lot of us here today. He made it his mission to gather those around him, and with his incredible enthusiasm he would make sure they didn’t miss out on the joy he had found in whatever creative pursuit it happened to be… 

….Max was uninhibited, his scope for loving those around him was limitless and it is fantastic that, especially since meeting Jane, Max couldn’t have been surrounded by more key people who adored him. The great thing is, he knew it…

…In the last year or so, Max had never been in such a good place. His creativity was beginning to reap the deserved rewards ..

...To meet someone with his positivity, drive and sheer zest for life - I count myself extremely lucky. The wonderful thing about his life was not just the devastating charm and charisma he brought to every day, it is the simple fact that if that young 13 year old boy was able to see the man he eventually became - a huge grin would have spread over his cheeky little face and he would have been ecstatic.

Max, you led a unique life and I will always be proud of you.”

Letter to Max, with all my love always, Jane xxx

My darling Max,

I feel so lucky, proud and blessed to have known you my sweetheart. I miss you with all my heart and soul and wish more than anything to have you with me now.

I first met you at school. I was a self-conscious sixth-former,feeling shy and awkward in my new environment. I remember seeing you in the main 'Court' at Marlborough and being struck by your dazzling charisma. You would bowl about the place full of smiles, charm and mischief, always surrounded by your friends I remember, such as Sam and Jules who would remain friends for life.

Fast forward 16 years and we spot each other again. although this time we do not let each other go. I was impressed by your directness, honesty, courage and sense of humour. Suddenly the world felt a brighter, lighter place, nothing seemed to touch your indomitable spirit.

Within months we were engaged and planning the rest of our lives together. I remember your fierce love, passionate loyalty and uninhibited joyfulness. We had found each other at last and neither of us could believe our luck.

The evening before our wedding, 24th September, will remain with me forever. We were both so full of excitement and anticipation after months of build-up. Your final words were 'I love you' and then (so the doctors tell me) your heart literally stopped beating. Despite the best efforts of the ambulance staff, nothing could be done to revive you.

I am still not sure I have actually taken in what has happened. Every second, every moment comes as a shock to me. I keep frowning and wondering whose life I have wandered in on, before realising it is my own.

I can feel the wave of love and support around me from family and friends. Much of the time I am too numb with grief to even acknowledge it, but I am still hugely appreciative and everyone is a massive help in keeping me going on a day to day basis.

Your amazing mother Suzanne has been my beacon and I have just returned from visiting her in France. The irrepressible Sam, indeed all your wonderful friends have rushed in to help, they are such a comfort to me as I see you reflected back in their love and kindness. Your family and friends are a testament to you, my darling Max. They are what I have left of you and I will treasure them always.

I can't imagine I will ever fully comprehend what has happened and a large part of me will never accept it. A vibrant, vital, gorgeous, gregarious, entertaining, funny, kind, caring and unique man has been taken in the prime of his life, when he still had so much to give.

Max you taught me how to live, and for that I will be eternally grateful. I carry you in my heart and your spirit will remain with me always. 

Jane xxx

The Fantastic Mr. Max Lowry - By Adam Wimpenny

I had the pleasure of knowing my friend Max for over ten years, ever since he kicked open the door into my life.

After meeting him one eventful night in a Souk restaurant in Picadilly I soon found myself spending a great deal of time in Max's company. I found out Max was had a love of film and music and talked a good game, so thought he was a guy I needed to hold onto. But having always fancied myself as a bit of a multi-talented Jack-of-all-trades I was dismayed to find out Max was a better artist and musician than I could ever hope to be. Disgusted by this discovery, I began to plan his downfall.

Little did I know that Max had an ace of his own up his sleeve in the shape of one Sam Eastall. Max introduced me to Sam and for the next 4 years I spent my working days with Sam, burning bridges throughout the TV industry. Over those years I had some of the best times of my life in both Max and Sam's company. Corrupting my internal organs along the way.

Having moved from Yorkshire to London I was starting my social life from scratch, but thanks to Max and his generosity to introduce me to all his friends I have now have a large group of life long pals who I now know only thanks to Max. In a solar system full of people, Max was most definitely the Sun, a big, warm ball of energy that everybody circulates around.

I'm very, very sad that Max is no longer with us but he's never very far away. His larger than life personality and cheeky face is just too hard to forget. The name Max will appear in conversations for decades to come and will always remind a great deal of people of many cherished memories.

I'll miss you Max, I even miss the nipple cripples and chinese burn, never thought I'd say that.

Merry Christmas and thinking of you and your friends and family.

Adam x

for my wonderful boy

dear max , we first met at your mums house in mezamet, i was cleaning a stream you came out to help, but the shovel gave you blisters, your mum made you wear marigold rubber gloves i pulled your leg about that for the next twenty years, as if by magic we became instant friends , did two pals ever laugh as much dance sing and, enjoy each others company,you became a member of my family my children fell in love with you, and they still talk about you as if your about to come through the door for a cup of tea play for guitar and sing to them, ten times a day i look up to heaven and talk to you, this time your looking over me instead of me looking over you,  we play the tapes we made togethern , in devon you sang in the garden victoria danced ballet around you and grown peoplecried at the beauty of it, you had the abilty to make people happy, just by being you, you are a good and loyal, friend, thank you for a million memories, all of them good, so long batman see you,

My Musical Companion

My Musical Companion

To even begin to write a personal tribute to you Max feels like the most enormous undertaking. To do it any justice I feel I'd be here for weeks. It still feels utterly incomprehensible that you are no longer here in person but my memories of you will be with me forever and I will try and take your wide-eyed enthusiasm into all my actions.


Some of the most memorable, enjoyable and special moments have been with you or due to you. At school you were the guy who loved singing even more than I did. I had to get to know you! You could hear Bono vocal lines being belted out around Court like some giant mating call or call to arms. One or the other. You loved U2 and Prince as much as I did. I loved your enthusiasm when I first asked you to join the band and the work that you'd put in learning lyrics and rehearsing, whilst girlfriends would wait patiently in their bedsits! I have hugely happy memories of you turning the tables and inviting me to join your band a year later and thereby introducing me to the great Sam Eastall on drums. Uncle Sam's Misguided Children was the best school band and the audiences knew it. I guess I loved the fact that in spite of you having so many admirers, friends and acquaintances, you managed to always keep everyone close and involved. You always treated me with the most enormous respect and gave me your priority time and for this you wholeheartedly won my loyalty and friendship.

I loved the Marlborough reunion that was Olly's stag do - one ongoing boy's night out. I think everyone involved in that holiday will agree that it was a golden time - for years after we threw about the idea of doing it again - but secretly feared for our livers. I have memories of singing on the beach, chain-smoking Camel Lights, staying out all night, then drinking Sangria and Gin and Tonics all day. We drank the hotel out of G&T, we smashed the mains water supply pipe up on the roof (well, you did, pretending to be Batman in cowboy boots!) What a blast! There won't be a holiday like that again I imagine.


It was around this time that I met Hannah and she adored you straight off. You were such a central friend within our relationship. You lit up Hannah's 30th birthday party and got the party swinging. At our wedding you got up on stage and knocked several shades out of Elvis' 'Hound Dog' - the band were rather stunned by the sheer volume and bravado. It felt like every week we had you round to our flat in Chelsea and then Battersea to tip back some wine and rattle through some songs. I loved all our rehearsals for both Winterwells and for France. Practising and performing was always such a laugh because we both shunned perfectionism for pure joy in belting out our favourite songs. The way it should be. Thank you to you and Jane for bringing Hannah and I to France - this will remain as another crystal clear, golden moment in life - everything came together to make the perfect evening and weekend. 

Thank you for being extraordinary, for being full of positivity, warmth, inspiration and energy. You were there at the greatest of times. I'll always be your fan and your friend.

Lots of love, Raph

An irreplaceable brother

Dearest Max

My family and I were lucky enough to know you from your year dot. For the past few weeks I've been thinking a lot about why we got on so well. According to Maddie (officially our childminder but more of a daytime mum as you named her) as very young children we 'chose each other' and from then on were as thick as thieves. Suzanne (my brilliant Godmother) and my mother Caroline tell me that whenever we got together - from toddlers to teens - there was a friends' chemistry that saw us forever roaring with laughter and creating havoc.

A few stories that have gone down in family history are turning Suzanne's black carpet white with shaving foam and talc, throwing Pearson's precious pewter down the well in the South of France and stealing corn from the local farmer who gave chase and labelled us, 'les enfantes terribles!'

I would like to say that as we got older we matured, but I can't! As all of your friends know, life with Max was about having fun and a giggle. Some of my best memories are from Christmases, summer holidays with Suzanne and family and lots of parties, which you ensured were never dull.

Of course as well as being a brilliant friend, you were a vital part of our family. Your bear hugs were legendary! You were wonderful to talk to and gave such kind but honest advice. Our parents Caroline and Terry thought of you as a son and to my sister Francesca and I, you will always be our brother. My husband Pete adored you too (you got us together but that's another story!) and we're lucky that Maddy is old enough to remember her incredibly charismatic Godfather.

Max, as you often said, you had so many wonderful friends and family. And I have never seen you so happy as when you were about to marry your beautiful Jane. Jane, Suzanne, Sam Eastall and all of your other amazing friends, who I've since been lucky enough to get to know better, have been incredibly strong and are keeping your memory alive so beautifully. What a wonderful, talented, gorgeous man you'd become. We will always miss you, love you and NEVER forget you. Rest in peace my darling. Cat xxxxxxx

The Best Friend

Max Lowry, my best friend. Max had asked me to speak at his wedding on what my friendship to Max meant. This is (much like Sam Eastall's) an edited version of that speech.

When Max asked me to speak of our friendship, I could only think of one thing, my son Isaac. When Isaac was born, Max was a struggling artist. The friend you would always want at any social event because of what he was as a person. That infectious joy for life, that smile and sparkle in the eye that seemed to light even the darkest days. It was because of those qualities that I asked Max to be Isaac’s godfather, in the hope that he could guide and influence Isaac in being a socially confident, laugh a minute, loyal and happy boy. The evidence that he has helped Ria and I achieve this lives on in Isaac. What more could one friend ask of the other?

I knew Max and I had more-than-most in common the day I first met him. The fact I can remember this moment, again, is testament to the friendship that blossomed from that first day in the Royal Holloway Drama Department. Like all great Drama degree courses, the first thing our year had to do, was draw  pictures of our favourite actors and actress’ and write a brief description as to why we were so influenced by them. As the group started to feed back, and the others on our course went on sycophantic monologues on the theatrical greats, from Larry Olivier, Sir Ben, Sir John, to Emma Thompson, Kenneth Brannagh and all those in between. Max told us all how much Sly Stallone had inspired him through the Rocky franchise, and I harped on about Harrison Ford, Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Soul mates, you better believe it buddy.

I believe you measure great friendships by the unspoken respect you always hold for one another, without taking umbrage at the barrage of abuse you might dish out to one another. It’s almost part of the test. A test to see how jokey you can be, yet still have the rock there when you need it! Musically Max and I would forever debate the merits of Bruce “The Boss” Springsteen, versus the Bono and U2! Yet we both knew we were there for each other when needed most.

Max brought many people in to my life and they have made it better! More friends! More family! His mother Suzanne, whom without, we would have been struggling flat hunter’s, let alone Actor and musician, when we left University for London.  Maddy and Freddy Carter and her family, Pat Fitzsimons, Gemma Tottingham, Cat Bevan, Sam Eastall, Ollies Bishop and Barnes, and many more besides. All people I feel thankful to know, and all people I know thanks to Max.

You cannot “choose your family” they say! Max did! I always wanted an older brother.  And by a year he provided me with that. Jane. We are all here for you. I know you would have looked after him. He was my best friend. I am now here to look after you.

Message from Joe Hill, Max's partner in '3D Joe and Max'

The Most...

The first time I saw Max was in a pencil drawing. Twenty years ago, I was walking through the bowels of Marlborough College's art department when an extraordinary self-portrait grabbed my attention. Expressive yet refined, every feature of the artist's face was exquisitely realised. Very few works of art stick in my head, but I can still visualise that prodigious fourteen year old's drawing to this day.

Max was exceptionally talented, a Renaissance man in every sense. But most of all he was a wonderful human being with an unrivalled love for life. The most optimistic, the most generous, the most energetic, the most supportive, the most creative, the most outrageous, the most brave, the most charming, the most loving… If Max were a super hero he would be Super-lative.

Working with Max for the last seven years has been a privilege. Spending that time as a friend has been an even greater joy. Such was his spirit, I was never unhappier at the end of a day spent in his company than I was at the beginning. He taught me so much about how to enjoy the world, about the light not the dark. Max showed me that life's not a battle, it's an adventure.