Vale Edmund Richardson: Just quietly, he was magnificent

Edmund passed away unexpectedly but peacefully on Wednesday 7th April, 2021, aged 33. This small tribute is written by work colleagues and friends who have known him across three companies since 2015. Blaze Advertising (WPP), MediaCom and The Animals.

Here’s to the quiet ones. The achievers without fuss. The head down and get-it-dones. The Edmund Richardson we knew was all that and more. He was quiet as a church mouse at times, but his work made the noise – thanks to the deep well of energy he had in reserve every working day.

When Ed was busy, his focus was unshakeable. It was typical to glance across a Design Studio and see him upright in his chair, visible above others (due to his great height and Ned Kelly beard) with both mind and body moving efficiently through what needed to be done. And get it done he did. Regardless of the distraction or agency tom-foolery that often swirled around him. Particularly in the shared campus office spaces of Y&R Melbourne Collins Street and Blaze/MediaCom Southbank.

Like many top Finished Artists and Studio Managers across Australia – Edmund was a leading example. These professionals are truly the unsung heroes of Print and Digital Production. Cool-headed, they bring together the difficult and the challenging (as well as the darn near impossible) smack-bang on deadline. Ed was a master at ironing out the wrinkles of complexity. Time-after-time he’d create pixel-perfect artwork without a detail overlooked.

Edmund was never famous. Not even ‘Melbourne Adland famous’, but his work was everywhere, even if you didn’t know it. If you were Australian, you would have flicked through hundreds of ‘Edmunds’ and even stopped to read a few. You might have even glanced at separate ‘Edmunds’ in retail-malls. In each and every instance, the images and messages were there, but behind it all, he was quietly there too.

If you’d opened a copy of The Australian Financial Review with a JLL ad in it between 2015 and 2018, chances are you’d see his guiding hand there as a skilled Finished Artist.

If you passed a Zamel’s jeweller over the past 3 years, you would not have known he had been up late working on the work you saw in the shopfront until it was perfect.

There were countless examples like this. Too many to mention. Across top names in Property, Retail, Government, Mining, Insurance, HR Recruitment and more. Ed was an integral part of the Sales and Marketing scene of Australia, but none of us truly realised it until now. That’s because he was the quiet one. He got on with it, nailing it every time, and then going on his way.

Now he has gone ‘on his way’ for good. And many of us can scarcely believe it.

While we are all poorer for his empty chair at the Mac, we are grateful for his extensive list of contributions while here. We hope he is finally getting a well-earned rest. Perhaps with a favourite glass of Pinot in hand in a comfortable chair. Thanks for the tireless work Ed, now please – take it easy. You’ve earned it.

Best of love, from those that knew you, and those that remember you fondly still. As well as the countless others that have quietly been informed, enlightened and inspired by your work.

For those that wish to make a small contribution to assist the family with arrangements, you can donate at https://www.gofundme.com/f/In-MemoryEdmund-Richardson