More than 500 mourners turned out to celebrate the life of Mount Maunganui's Kumiko Goodhall yesterday, who died tragically on April 20, when struck by a train.
Mrs Goodhall's funeral was held at Mount Maunganui College, where her husband Allan Goodhall has been a teacher since 1980, and is international manager
at the school.
While Mrs Goodhall had not worked at the school in a formal manner, she had worked with the school's international students on many occasions.
The school closed early yesterday to hold the funeral in the school hall, and was attended by many students, as well as friends and family members.
Mrs Goodhall, 55, died when struck by a train, while crossing the railway lines at Matapihi on her bike. She was out cycling about 2.30pm on April 20, training to ride the Otago Central Rail Trail next month, following her 21-year-old daughter, Hana's graduation in Dunedin.
Mrs Goodhall has been described as a "discerning woman and a devoted mother". The Goodhalls also have an elder daughter, Jean, 23.
Mrs Goodhall's family in Japan were unable to make her funeral but a special reading was read aloud on their behalf.
