Peter Hill-Wood never wanted a fuss.
But he got one all the same as key members of Arsenal past and present as well as his family paid their respects and said their farewells to their former chairman on Thursday.
Before he passed away in December last year, he told the family entourage that had gathered around him that he was against any pomp and ceremony when he died.
But the close relatives were insistent that many would want such an event.
Hill-Wood eventually relented. In a fashion.
'Oh, do what you want,' he said. 'I won't be there anyway.'
To the end, the Hill-Wood character that had been part of the Arsenal DNA for thirty years was apparent.
There is no evidence of Hill-Wood in the directors' box at Highbury or, more latterly, the Emirates jumping in celebration at an Arsenal win in the last minute.
'Just a puff of cigar smoke and a comment that it was never in doubt,' is how former work colleague Andrew Martin Smith described Hill-Wood's reaction to such a scenario.
That was Hill-Wood. Arrogance, airs and graces – they were not in his dictionary. Unflappable certainly was – as Arsene Wenger recalled.
Wenger was one of some 300 who attended a memorial service for Hill-Wood at, appropriately, the Guards Chapel in Birdcage Walk just opposite St James's Park.
He was in good company. Lee Dixon, Tony Adams, David O'Leary, Pat Rice, Bob Wilson, Terry Neill, John Hollins and Tony Woodcock attended.
As did close friend Ken Friar, former vice-chairman David Dein and two former physiotherapists at the club Gary and Colin Lewin.
So was the one-time travel co-ordinator Paul Johnson while Ivan Gazidis – once chief executive at the Emirates and now at AC Milan – made the journey from north Italy.
There was a cluster from the present club employees – people that respected Hill-Wood because of his acknowledgement of the importance of everyone who worked at Arsenal.
But the one appointment that can be regarded as a key component of his legacy was the arrival of Wenger back in 1996.
With the blessing of Hill-Wood, Wenger came to Arsenal after the pair had dinner at an Italian restaurant in Chelsea.
Hill-Wood admitted he was not keen initially on giving the Frenchman the job. 'Arsene Who?' was the headline that greeted Wenger's eventual arrival.
'The story is true,' said Wenger as he spoke after the service. Wenger proceeded to create a dynasty at Arsenal that was to bring the club more glory, a new stadium and a reputation as a team that was admired throughout the country.
'Looking back, it was a good decision wasn't it ?' said Hill-Wood. Typically, an under-statement.
But that would have come to no surprise to Wenger who recalled one memorable insight into Hill-Wood's refusal to shift into panic mode at the sight of a problem – small or significant.
This one was of the latter variety.
'We were in a light airplane going round Europe,' said Wenger who, with his chairman, was checking on training facilities in Germany and France while the new London Colney base was in the design stage.
'We were coming into land in Belgium and the plane seemed to cut out. There was only me, the pilot and the chairman inside. I feared the worst and looked round to him.
'He just shrugged and said: "I am sure it will be ok!" Nothing seemed to unnerve him. The following day, we were due to back to London... in the same plane. I suggested we go by train. He was not having it.
'Oh no – that will take far too long' he said. So we flew back. He just took everything in his stride.'
'Old school' was the most-used phrase. Hollins came up with another. 'Sheer class,' he said. 'That is how I would describe the chairman.'