He would captain the Hawke’s Bay representative football team, start a concrete and paving firm from which he retired early in 2024 after 61 years in the business, and be a city councillor for four terms (1989 to 2001).
His years at the table matched the mayoral term of 17th Mayor of Napier Alan Dick, to whom he was deputy for six years, and included leading the way in major projects such as refurbishing of the Napier Municipal Theatre.
Even after standing down from the council, he continued in the civic interest, including helping to found the Hawke’s Bay Democratic Action Association to challenge a councils amalgamation proposal in Hawke’s Bay, which was ultimately defeated in a 2015 referendum.
Alan Dick said Ian Dick - no relation - was a “wonderful guy who led a great life with many achievements”.
“I couldn’t have had a more helpful person as a councillor and deputy mayor,” he said.
“At the time there was a little bit of political division, and he was the one who would settle down the argument and get everyone on the path to achieve.
“Even after he finished on the council he was still involved, and was chairman of the group that challenged the amalgamation proposal,” he said. “We won that one.”
Barbara Arnott, elected to the council in 1995 and Mayor from 2001 to 2013, said his full-on commitment was “his style”, and his “Scottish charm fused that perfectly in everything he did”.
“He was a top guy, and always showed a lot of empathy,” she said.
His service, across multiple aspects, was recognised when he was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal (QSM) in the 2018 New Year Honours.
At the time he said: “I have always been a man who likes to get things done - ideally in the background, whether it was building classrooms, fundraising for community projects, involvement in city affairs or just generally doing something to improve the community and the lives of people in need”.
The citation at the time noted his involvement with school boards at St Patrick’s and Sacred Heart schools, and the council of St Thomas More Parish, and the Lions International community service movement, of which he was a life member in Napier.
Ian Dick Concrete Contractors continues as a family business, run by son Greg and nephew Pete Witkowski, and daughter Lisa managing the office and administration.
Survived by 10 children, 32 grandchildren, and 32 great-grandchildren, his funeral will be held at the Napier War Memorial Centre on Thursday, starting at 11am.
Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today, and has 52 years of journalism experience, 42 of them in Hawke’s Bay, in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues, and personalities.
