He met his wife Eunice in the 1940s, and they married in 1948. Don built a one-room cottage on the farm during the time of rationing and when the five children came along he added another room.
The couple worked very hard raising the children, and growing the business. Don also played rugby helping resurrect the Ruahine Club out of recess, captaining the seniors for two years and being chairman and president for over 20 years which earned him a life membership.
His business acumen led to Don being elected a director of the Ruahine Dairy Company and he served as director on successive dairy companies for 21 years being part of at least six mergers and takeovers.
At this time he also became interested in the share market doing very well until the 1987 share-market crash halved the value of his portfolio but he was still able to operate and diversify his interests, especially into real estate and horse racing – he was a Steward at the Woodville District Jockey Club - maintaining his interests until his passing.
He might have lived in Te Rehunga all his life but Don and his wife travelled the world extensively, paddling a dugout canoe in the Amazon, surfing into a Waikiki beach in an outrigger canoe at age 88, cruising the world throughout the Caribbean, Pacific Islands and Mediterranean. They even took the whole family to Fiji to celebrate their 60th Wedding Anniversary. His philosophy? “Better a day with memories than one with dreams.”
He also took a keen interest in politics and the local community and at 75 he joined the local Rotary Club becoming its president 18 months later, doubling its membership, organising events such as the public debates between locals and prominent citizens like Wyatt Creech and Michael Laws. He gained life membership and was awarded Rotary’s highest award, the Paul Harris Fellowship.
Above all, Don was a family man, thoroughly enjoying interacting with his 18 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren, many of whom lived close by. The three most important things in Don’s life were family, farming and friends and his generosity knew no bounds. He once said, “a good brandy and a love of family was the secret of a good life.”
At his funeral, representatives of these generations described him as “one who viewed the lighter things in life,” “someone who had ears that truly listened,” “a fount of knowledge and good advice” and most commonly “always kind”.
A poem which Don asked to be included in the service sheet sums up the man. It reads:
Goodbye my family my life has passed
I loved you all to the very last
Weep not for me but courage take
Love each other for my sake
For those that love you don’t go away
They walk beside you every day.
Dave Murdoch is a part-time photo-journalist working for the Bush Telegraph and based at Dannevirke. He has covered any community story telling good news about the district for the last 10 years.
