The Hartfields left Nigeria in 1971 and moved to New Zealand. They were looking for a place by the sea where the climate was good gardening and their children could go to a good school.
They have three daughters and one son, as well as nine grandchildren.
Dr Hartfield views the New Year's Honours award for services to health as a kindness New Zealand has bestowed upon him "out of the blue".
"Because we're from overseas, this is yet another kindness as it were," he said. Dr Hastings was raised in Sussex, England.
Entering the health sector in England in 1957, Dr Hartfield and Mrs Hartfield married in 1958. They hadn't heard of Wanganui before coming to New Zealand.
Here, he is known for his work establishing and heading the Specialist Obstetric and Gynaecological Department as well as helping to establish the Wanganui Regional Hospice service. He was also acting medical superintendent for two years.
Dr Hartfield, who is also a priest and sings in the Schola Sacra Choir, was surprised to hear about the award in August.
"It had never kind of passed through my mind," he said. "I feel ... well, very pleased and very grateful to some colleagues or people who have put my name forward, grateful to New Zealanders and people here."
Mrs Hartfield was the only other person who knew.
He has been involved in clinical research and has published 26 articles. He has been a member of the Medical Ethics Committee and the United Nations Association.
He felt the greatest change to the health sector was imaging - scans and MRIs and that oncology had made advances.
After retiring in 2012, Dr Hartfield has been keeping busy with the church and his garden.
While he loved the "friendliness" of people in Wanganui and the size of the city, he couldn't put his finger on what he loved the most about it.
"Who do you like best? Mozart, Beethoven, or Bach?"
