Alwyn Coxhead, one of the founding partners of Eves Coxhead Real Estate, now Eves Real Estate, died at Tauranga Hospital on August 12, aged 86. Photo/Supplied.
A former sheep farmer turned real estate agent, who was part of Tauranga's rapid development in the 1970s and 80s, has died.
Robert Alwyn Coxhead, known to everyone as Alwyn, was one of the founding partners of Eves Coxhead Real Estate, now Eves Real Estate.
Mr Coxhead, who was born in Thames in 1931, died at Tauranga Hospital on August 12, aged 86.
His eldest daughter, Karen Bowller, said he would be greatly missed by family, friends, business colleagues and associates.
"He was very community-minded, a wonderful man. He was known in the area for his generosity. He would drop anything to go and give someone a hand."
Mr Coxhead grew up on the family farm in Miranda on the Hauraki Plains, attending Ngatea District High School with his brothers Keith and David.
In his early years he was a passionate rugby and cricket player and remained a supporter all his life.
In 1954 Mr Coxhead married Aureen Bell from Thames and they began their married life in Miranda before moving to Katikati with two young children to start sheep farming at the foot of the Kaimai Ranges.
He took part in indoor bowls, the local orphans club and helped run the Katikati amateur athletics club for several years.
A decade later the family, now with four children, moved to Tauranga and Mr Coxhead started his career in real estate.
At first he worked for local agent Laurie Johnson but in 1970 he formed a partnership with Max Eves and Eves Coxhead Real Estate was born.
Mr Coxhead was with the company for nearly 30 years and witnessed first-hand the rapid expansion of Tauranga, seeing former rural boundaries become suburbs.
"Dad was a leading real estate agent in Tauranga, and he saw the early development. It was just this rapid, rapid growth and spread of the city," Mrs Bowller said.
He was also an auctioneer for the firm and later in his career moved from residential on to rural sales.
When he retired 20 years ago, Mr Coxhead said he was proud of the company, both regarding the role he played in establishing it and what he had achieved more recently.
His last sale was a dairy farm near Katikati, which went for just over $1.1 million.
Mrs Bowller said it was a "nice farewell" for him.
During the 1980s Mr Coxhead was involved in the horse racing scene and was a shareholder of several horses owned by veteran trainer Graeme Rogerson, she said.