Aue taukiri e! E te papa Victor, ko koe te matua rawe ki to tamariki mokopuna me te tino whaiaipo o to hoa rangatira. Ko koe te tangata putake o te tiaki taiao mo Te Runanga A Iwi O Ngati Kahu. Ko koe he hoa mahi ki ahau me matou. When your life’s tale is told, it will fill volumes.
Dear Victor, it was such a privilege to have worked, yarned, argued and laughed with you over the years. You were the man who led our environment portfolio and set the benchmark for those who came after. You loved to travel - hence I dubbed you ‘Sir Have-Suitcase-Will-Travel.’ You were always up to be our Hanakoko - naturally. But most importantly, you walked the difficult line between Ngati Kahu tikanga and Crown laws, etc. I can still picture you, Steve and Charlie (my staunch tokotoru tapu) when I first started at the Runanga. Well now you’ve gone in to join those two and all your loved ones on the other side where you will be received with open arms and will be greeted by our Atua, “Well done thy good and faithful servant.”
To Flossie, Tanya, Sonja, Moana, Steven and all your whanau, please accept my deep love and sympathy on the loss of your beloved husband and papa. He has left a wonderful legacy in you all.
Moe mai e hoa Victor. Kua oti te mamae. Moe mai ra i runga i te rangimarie ka okioki inaianei ta maatau tino aroha. Moe mai. Moe mai. Moe mai atu rā. Victor, you will be missed hugely.
