Peacefully, on December 23, 2025, with family by his side; aged 80 years. Dearly loved husband of the late Karen, much loved father and father-in-law of the late Mark, Tony and Sarah, Andrew, Brendan and Amie, and proud Granddad of Taylah and Isaac; Mitch, Markus and Maia; Mana, Poppy and Louie.
A celebration of Brian's life will be held in Hope and Sons Chapel, 523 Andersons Bay Road, at 2pm, on Friday, January 9, 2026. Messages to 51 Glendevon Place, Vauxhall, Dunedin, 9013, or Hope and Sons PO Box 5013, Dunedin 9054, or on Brian's page below, along with the livestream.
Live stream
Livestream SlideshowMessages
We have emailed you a verification code. Enter it below to publish your message. It can take a few minutes to arrive, and it is worth checking your spam or junk folder.
Thank you. Your message has been confirmed and will appear shortly.
The loss of a great mate is always hard to bear. So sorry for the family but Brian is in a better place with the lovely Karen now. Kath and I certainly had some magnificent times with the pair of which included the trip to the red centre of Oz and onto Darwin a great memory. They will always be in our hearts Kath & Murray
McCombe family Please accept our deepest sympathy. We have known Brian since about 1970 through our common interest in Car Trialling. We always enjoyed his company and humour.
Deepest Sympathy to the McCombe family. My association with Brian as my accountant, co-director, drinking partner and friend and Karen as my stationary supplier and friend for over twenty-five years was very enjoyable and a lot of laughs by all. The stories told made life worth living and being with such good friends. Brian was one of those very good people who you wanted to be with a lot. He will be sadly missed by all his family and friends. Trevor Hastie
It was with a heavy heart that I heard of Brian's passing. I send my heartfelt condolences to his family. Brendon, you did your dad proud with an amazing eulogy. I have been able to view Brian's funeral online and shed a tear when I saw and remembered his charming smile. The photos were superb. Brian had been my accountant since 2000 until Natasha took over his clients, and I have remained with her ever since even though I now live in Wellington. A thought for the future days and months ahead and in the sentiment of Brian's values. Do not go down where the path may lead, instead go where there is no path and leave a trail. A quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson. All the very best to you all in the coming hours, days and months. He will have left a huge void in the family dynamics. Arohanui, Brian RiP Adrienne
To Brian’s family - my thoughts are with you all this afternoon as I listen to the streamline service for Brian . I too have some happy and special memories of times spent with Brian and it was a privilege to share with you today your joy and love for Brian. Cousin Beth .
Hello McCombe family, Our deepest sympathies on Brian’s passing. I have happy memories of the visits we made to each others’ homes as kids when on holiday, Brian’s love and deep knowledge of motor vehicle at quite a young age, and then the passion we both shared for car rallies and quick-ish cars in our teens and early twenties. Regrettably our paths diverged as my career became a sort of transient one. I understand in some ways Brian’s passing would be a relief, in that he is now free from pain. Thinking of Brian's family at this time. Warm regards, Phil Freeman
My very real sympathy to Brian's family and also his friends. As a young project manager at Millers Mechanical in late 1970s and 1980s, Brian helped me learn about accounting matters. His great humour and enthusiasm made a foreign subject interesting and made Brian just a good guy to be around. I've continued to enjoy running into Brian from time to time since.
We have many memories (some happy, some sad) of our times working together in many ways as volunteers at IHC Otago. We also enjoyed many social occasions with Brian and Karen. Thinking of you all - Ian and Trudy