Hundreds of Australia's best athletes gathered in Melbourne to say goodbye to a great off-field sporting identity.

A memorial service was held at the MCG on Wednesday for sporting administrator Julius (Judy) Patching, who died aged 92 on February 13.

Four-time Olympic gold medal winner Betty Cuthbert, who is now wheelchair-bound with multiple sclerosis, flew to the event from Western Australia.

Also there were other Olympians such as John Landy and "oarsome foursome" rowers Nick Green and Mike McKay, and sporting identities such as Ron Barassi and John Kennedy from Australian Rules, former football and cricketer Max Walker and many others from politics and other fields.

Patching was involved in every Australian Olympic Games from Melbourne in 1956, where he was the chief starter in the stadium, to Beijing in 2008. He also managed a number of Australian Olympic teams.

Speakers remembered a generous man with a "gift of the gab" and an infectious laugh who had selflessly helped many athletes and officials.

Olympic silver medallist and current International Olympic Committee vice-president Kevan Gosper remembered Patching after the 1960 Rome Olympics - when he was athletics team manager - taking the team out on the town in London to see singer Eartha Kitt.

"We were told we were not well-dressed enough for a formal occasion," Mr Gosper told the crowd at the service.

"He gave a piece of paper to the man ... and said it had the autographs of some of the best athletes in the world on it and that we had just come from meeting the Queen of England.

"He said `if our dress was good enough for the Queen of England it is good enough here' and we were given the best seats in the house."

Olympic historian Harry Gordon said Patching played pivotal roles in convincing champion swimmer Dawn Fraser and sprinter Raelene Boyle to keep on competing and go on to win medals after they had considered quitting.

"A very homesick and very young 17-year-old Raelene Boyle was homesick and wanted to be put on the first plane home from Mexico in 1968," he said. "He took to calling her the kid, he told her to enjoy herself and helped her and she called him the most approachable official she knew - she went home with a silver medal."

Patching's two sons, Bruce and Colin, made emotional tributes to their father, who was also survived by six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

AAP