Ex-mayor Jeremy Dwyer dies of cancer

Former Hastings Mayor Jeremy Dwyer died in Cranford Hospice on Saturday night after after battling melanoma for more than a year.
Mr Dwyer, Mayor of Hastings from 1986 to 1989, then the newly-formed Hastings District Council from 1989 to 2001, was 58 years old.
Tributes flowed in today for a man who lead Hastings through some of its harshest trials, especially the closing of the Whakatu freezing works in 1986 and the amalgamation of the Hastings city, Hawke's Bay county and Havelock North borough councils in 1989.
He was the district's youngest councillor when elected in 1977 and became mayor at just 38.
His funeral will be held at St Matthew's Anglican Church, Hastings, on Wednesday at 11am.
Alan Dick, Napier Mayor 1989 - 2001: "It's a great shame to lose Jeremy too young. Our thoughts go out to his family.
We were close colleagues. We had our differences, such as the hospital debate, where we disagreed strongly, but I've always held Jeremy in the highest regard. He was a great asset to Hastings and Hawke's Bay".
Eileen von Dadelszen, Hawke's Bay Regional Council chairperson: "What a sad loss for the community. I had the privilege of knowing Jeremy over more than 20 years. Jeremy was a clear thinker, regionally focused and with a great facility with language, often spiced with a delightful sense of humour. My abiding memory though will not be of him in his official positions: My happiest memory of Jeremy will be sharing the stage with him at a Havelock North fundraising fun debate: Jeremy had no problem dressing up, with a funny hat and preposterous false teeth, all in a good cause. It has been a privilege to know Jeremy and to serve the community with him".
Lawrence Yule, Hastings mayor: "I regarded him as a great person and a personal friend. I served one term as his deputy (mayor) and I owe a great deal to him for being where I am today. He encouraged me to become deputy and to stand for mayor. He was a man of the people. He could get on with anyone. This is a real loss to me personally".
Barbara Arnott, Napier Mayor: "This was a man who gave so much to Hastings and the Hawke's Bay community, and kept on giving. He contributed as mayor and then kept on contributing. I'm just so sorry he died when he was still in his prime".
Ngahiwi Tomoana, Ngati Kahungunu iwi chairman: "He was one of the few politicians I knew who could straddle so many communities at once; Maori, pakeha and other ethnic communities, Hastings and Napier. He was the consumate politician. He had no hesitation coming on to a marae and speaking in Maori. He will be missed a great deal and we will be making a formal request to have him on a marae, so he can be farewelled by Maori".
Rick Barker, former Tukituki MP: "This is a very sad day. He was an outstanding civic leader and a compassionate man who cared for each individual and for every community. In the eight years I worked with him we had and outstanding working relationship and that was the envy of many of my colleagues. He was a close personal friend".