OBITUARY: Businessman had long,

DONALD FREDERICK McLEOD May 23, 1911 - November 13, 2004
Don McLeod will be remembered by many for his wide-ranging contributions to the Hawke's Bay business community. He was chairman of the Board of Watties Industries, president of the Hastings Chamber of Commerce and served for a 25-year tenure on the board of trustees for Trustbank Eastern and Central.
The family's association with Hastings was long.
His father was born in Hastings in 1880 and Don was born in 1911. Both his father and grandfather were influential in the timber and building trades in Hawke's Bay. His childhood was spent in Lyndon Road; he attended Central School in Hastings and then went by train to Napier Boys' High School. His English mother took him to St Matthew's Church in Hastings where he later served as a vestryman for many years. His mother was killed when the Hastings Public Library collapsed in the 1931 earthquake.
After finishing high school Don attended Victoria University College while working part-time. He graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce and worked for the government Audit Department in Wellington before qualifying as a public accountant in 1936 and starting a new job for Rubber Distributors Ltd. During this period he married his wife Marie and their four children were born; Richard, John, Rosemary and Ewan. The family home was in the suburb of Khandallah.
He returned to Hawke's Bay in 1956 as Financial Manager for J Wattie Canneries and in the 1960s was active in the restructuring that formed Wattie Industries. In 1972 Mr McLeod was appointed Executive Director of Watties Industries, Deputy Chairman in 1974 and chairman following the retirement of the company's founder, Sir James Wattie. In the 1960s Mr McLeod was a foundation trustee who worked to establish the Hawke's Bay Trustee Savings Bank to enable Hawke's Bay people to buy their own homes. He was elected president of the Trustee bank during the amalgamation of the Hawke's Bay and Gisborne banks and continued as a board member for a number of years.
Mr McLeod was also a leader in the enterprise formed to bring natural gas to Hawke's Bay. After a term as chairman of East Coast Gas Supply Ltd he remained as an active director following his retirement from Watties Industries in 1980.
Mr McLeod was a past president of the Hastings Chamber of Commerce and a Life Member of the Hawkes Bay Chamber of Commerce. He was also a past board member of HB Farmers' Cooperative; member of the advisory committee for the Salvation Army and member of the Diabetes Foundation and Cot Death division of the Child Welfare Foundation. Commenting on his community service Mr McLeod said, "You volunteer yourself and start with nothing, but you go with a great sense of achievement and satisfaction."
His most popular leisure activities were golf, fishing and travel. He was also a long-time member of the Hawke's Bay County Club. Nothing daunted him and after retirement, in his early 70s, he rafted down the Mohaka River, took his first glider flight and hiked the Milford Track.
Mr McLeod is survived by his wife Marie (Havelock North), three children, Richard (Bangkok), Rosemary (Taupo) and Ewan (Moscow) and 10 grandchildren. A funeral service was held for Mr McLeod on November 17 at St Mathew's Church in Hastings.