AT dawn yesterday, barely 12 hours after his father’s death, Anthony Pratt drove to Visy’s packaging plants in Melbourne and prowled the factory floors alone. It was the same daily routine his father had followed for 40 years.

The billionaire’s son then drove to the company’s city headquarters and sat in his dad’s chair.

The message was clear: Richard Pratt was dead, but the new generation of Pratts were now walking in his shoes, ready to safeguard his legacy and his $5billion paper and packaging empire.

Today at 11am, Visy’s 5600 employees around the country will observe a minute’s silence to mark the passing of their founder, although their machines will stay on because, as Mr Pratt would have said, the business must go on.

“In keeping with what Richard would most surely want, please ensure production continues unabated during this time — we could do him no greater honour than to achieve record production tomorrow,” Visy employees were told.

At the same time across town, more than 700 people are expected to attend the Kew Synagogue to farewell the businessman and philanthropist who died on Tuesday night.

The traditional Jewish service will be modest compared with the colourful life of the 74-year-old. Mr Pratt will have a simple casket and there will not be any flowers.

The funeral is expected to be attended by leading figures in business, politics, the arts, environment, sport and charity and by many Visy employees.

Kevin Rudd and former NSW premier Bob Carr are expected to attend, as are most of the Carlton football team. Long-time family friend Sam Lipski will deliver the eulogy and two of Mr Pratt’s four children, Anthony and Heloise, will also speak.

Plans for the service were made quietly by the family after Mr Pratt was told two weeks ago that his prostate cancer had spread and his death was imminent.

Victorian Premier John Brumby has offered the family a public memorial service in several weeks to recognise Mr Pratt’s contribution to the community.

“I think it’s an appropriate thing to do for someone whose public profile, whose contribution, has been as significant as Richard Pratt’s,” he said.

The family was last night considering the Premier’s offer.

Mr Pratt died at his Raheen mansion, surrounded by his family, only a day after criminal charges against him for giving false and misleading evidence to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission were withdrawn.

His widow, Jeanne, was believed to have spent yesterday at Raheen with her family, taking condolence calls and making preparations for the funeral of her husband of 47 years.

It was unclear last night whether Mr Pratt’s 11-year-old daughter, Paula, whom he fathered with former mistress Shari-lea Hitchcock, would attend the funeral. Paula was with her mother in Sydney yesterday, and Ms Hitchcock declined to make any comment.

The Australian yesterday revealed that Mr Pratt had been re-nominated for an Order of Australia only hours before he died by family friend and lawyer Mark Leibler. Mr Pratt handed back his AO back early last year, fearing he would be stripped of it because of his involvement in a price-fixing scandal with rival Amcor.

No one has been awarded an AO after handing one back, but Mr Pratt’s supporters yesterday backed the bid as a way to further restore his reputation.

“Richard Pratt deserves to be recognised for what he’s achieved,” Mr Lipski said.

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Credit: Cameron Stewart, Additional reporting: John Stapleton