RiP memories of past members

This site was requested to hold memories of members and friends who are passed on.
 
Latest is Barry Austin .. with an obit from David L.
 
 
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Obituary for Barry Austin
It was with much regret that we learned the expected news that Barry Austin had finally slipped away and found his peace.  Barry was a very proud Rotarian who chased the seasons between here and England spending some six months in each. A founder member of his Club in the UK, he was a committed Rotarian who lived his life in accordance with the ethos of our organisation.
Barry and I attended Sheffield University but, although we briefly attended at the same time, our paths did not cross.  He studied dentistry and subsequently had a full career in this profession where he gave a portion of his time to social dentistry as well as to his very busy private patients practice.
On arrival in New Zealand, Barry sampled all the local clubs and had no problem in identifying Tauranga Te Papa as the Club that would offer him most and complement his way of life.  Full of life, and you could say larger than life, Barry and Gerry quickly established themselves in the heart of the social activity of the Club.  I distinctly remember a huge party he threw in his Bethlehem home for all the Club members and their partners.  It really was one of the most memorable social events I can remember in my twenty years in the Club.  Sadly, Gerry who was as outward going as Barry and equally fun loving and gregarious, fell victim to the ‘Big C’ and passed away in England.  The two of them had been joined at the hip.
Barry continued his seasonal wandering with half his family in each hemisphere.  He continued in his love of golf and was a mainstay and organiser for a while of the small band of golfers in the Club.  He also continued in his social activities and Wynn and I attended many happy diners which he cooked.  In later years he met up with and old friend from his school days Diana, and she became an established part of his life.
Barry did so much for the Club in so many ways that we cannot allow his passing to go unnoticed.  He leaves behind Jo, his daughter who lives in Bethlehem and a daughter, Vicky, in Perth (Australia) and his son, James, in Newcastle, UK, and of course Diana who was with him to the end.  A great family man, he was also a devoted grandfather.
His journey, in which he lived his life to the full, has come to an end but he will not be forgotten.  
David Love  
President Elect
Tauranga Te Papa Rotary Club.
 
 
 
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It is with sadness that I read in the NZ Herald yesterday that Cherise passed away on Thursday after her long battle with Cancer.
 
Most of you who were members prior to 2020 will have known Cherise.
 
Nelson, her late husband was an active member of our club up until his death in 2019 and held the role of Club Secretary for a number of years.
When Nelson became ill, a number of members and partners assisted Cherise, who was also ill, in her home and to run their business to get it into a position to be sold. Ken Collins spent many a day working in and guiding the business and Cherise.
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Colin Barnett
Colin was a member of this club from 1989 for three years and re-joined in 1997. While he was a
very active member of the club he will probably be mainly remembered as our Barbecue Chef
Supreme having been the self-appointed chef for practically every function we had as a club. He was
President of the club 2000 / 2001 and accorded a Paul Harris Fellow in 2005.
Along with Cheryl, they were a very social couple and always the life of any party we had in earlier
times. Many of us made the trip to Pikitu Marae for one of his birthdays I reckon it was his 60 th ,
others say even earlier and even as late as his 70 th (which I very much doubt). He resigned from our
club (and Rotary International) around 2010 – 2011 when they both decided to move to Taupo to be
closer to their son. They have enjoyed more than a decade of semi-retirement in Taupo before Colin
died last week of a brain haemorrhage. The funeral was held last Wednesday at Pikitu Marae and
was attended by six current and two past members of our club.
Thank you for the good times Colin. Those of us who knew you, knew just how much you had to
give. R.I.P. Colin Barnett - Paul Harris Fellow.
 
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Barry Austin