Boydie Pirika was a great family man who worked tirelessly for his iwi. PHOTO/FILE
When Poiti Arama-Karaka Pirika became dissatisfied with the Maori mental health service, he did what every great leader would do.
He took action and became part of the solution.
Despite being in his 60s, he went to Waiariki Institute of Technology to learn more about mental health law and service delivery and in 1999 graduated with a certificate in mental health and began working at Te Aroha o Hinemaru residential home.
He was a man who was said to lead from the back, but was more than capable of leading from the front.
It's those kind of leadership skills that will be sorely missed by Te Arawa.
Mr Pirika, known as Boydie, died last weekend at the age of 76 after suffering a heart attack.
Mr Pirika was born in 1941 at his whanau homestead at Hinemoa Point and was number six of 11 children born to Nireaha and Tinipoai Pirika.
Educated at Rotokawa School and Rotorua High School, he and his older brother, Te Amotawa (Pinder), were called on by the old people to fetch and gather whatever was needed. And the old people spoke only Maori to them - this during an era when Maori wasn't allowed to be spoken inside the school gates.
After living and working a few years in Petone, he met Mokara Te Moa (Topsy) from Ngati Rangi. They became smitten with each other and married in 1962.
They had four children - Clark, Craig, Cherie and Carol (a daughter from a previous relationship) - and seven mokopuna: Tamati, Justin, Arama-Karaka, Tai, Eruana-Karaka, Holly and Tutanekai.
Mr Pirika worked as a mechanic from 1959 to 1985, when the family returned to Rotorua.
Mr and Mrs Pirika opened a lunch bar on Haupapa St, Munchies Lunch Bar. Clark Pirika said his parents were known to allow some of their customers to book-up their kai, which from a business perspective may not have been ideal, but from a relationship point of view they were more than comfortable with.
"The bills were still paid, thankfully," Clark said.
By 1993, the couple sold Munchies and Mr Pirika managed a silviculture and fishing industry training course for Te Ure o Uenukukopako Trust.
He decided to change careers again in the late 90s and enter the mental health field.
Eventually, in 2002, he was employed as Pou Awhina in Mental Health, where he worked until his retirement in 2014 at the tender age of 73.
In 2006 he became kaumatua for Te Kaunihera mo nga kaupapa Hauora Hinengaro Maori to provide cultural and spiritual guidance and leadership to psychiatrists, students and trainees.
Later, in 2008, he was appointed the kaumatua for the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP).
He joined the New Zealand National Committee, Tu Te Akaaka Roa, and through his skills, networks and knowledge, ensured that the RANZCP had expert advice and appropriate leadership in relation to Maori tikanga (protocol).
His tireless work with and for Maori with mental illness, his leadership and guidance in relation to appropriate service provision to Maori, and his extensive contributions to the work of the college as kaumatua were acknowledged with the Mark Sheldon Award in 2010. He was the second New Zealander to receive this award, after Sir Meihana Durie.
Clark Pirika described his father as a loving husband, a kind father and a caring koro who gave of his time to anyone who asked. He was also musical, playing guitar, piano accordion and saxophone.
"Dad's greatest attribute was his humility and calm demeanour. He tended to lead from the back and was more than comfortable with allowing others to take the lead. That said, he was equally adept at leading from the front and was always ready to confront issues head on.
"Some examples include the Rotorua Eastern Arterial designation being lifted with New Zealand Transport Agency, querying council's proposal to discharge treated wastewater into Lake Rotorua and disagreeing with the renaming of Waiariki to Toi Ohomai."
He said his fondest memory of his father was him always fixing things.
"We'd go to the landfill, offload rubbish and return home with even more stuff like truck horns, broken tables, chairs or lamps . . . basically anything he could repair.
"For as long as I can remember, Mum and Dad did everything together and would often take us on Sunday drives to visit other family members. Our childhood was a great one."
He said his relationship with his father had grown from father and son to best mates.
"We would talk about anything and everything from colonisation to politics, kawa, tikanga, whakapapa, leadership, education, health services and so much more."
He said his father worked tirelessly for his whanau, hapu and iwi and was always looking to build and maintain relationships.
"He truly loved people and everyone he touched, I'm certain will miss him dearly. Dad, we miss and love you so much. Moe mai ra e Pa."
Poiti Arama-Karaka (Boydie) Pirika's voluntary work
- Kaumatua and paepae - Owhata Marae, Pikirangi Marae, Ruamata Marae, Paratehoata-Te Kohea Marae, Papaiouru Marae, Te Kura Kaupapa o Ruamata
- Trustee - Owhata, Ruamata and Papaiouru Marae, Pakipaki Land Trust, Matawera Trust, Whakapoungakau Ahu Whenua Trusts, Lake Okataina Scenic Reserve Board and Tiki Te Kohu Ruamano Trust
- Post Settlement Entity - Ngati Tuteniu Hapū Trust, Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa, Te Pukenga Koeke o Te Arawa chairman
- Former Te Arawa Trust Board deputy chairman