World War II veteran and former Whangarei City Council general manager Frank Wilson, seen here with son Mark last year, has died aged 96.
World War II veteran and former Whangarei City Council general manager Frank Wilson, seen here with son Mark last year, has died aged 96.
Frank Wilson, one of Whangarei's few remaining World War II veterans, has died.
Mr Wilson - the former general manager of the then-Whangarei City Council - was aged 96 when he passed away peacefully at his home in the Jane Mander Retirement Village on June 1.
A true "Whangareiboy", he served his community during his working life and well into his retirement.
Born in 1921 in Whangarei Hospital to a family of eight children, he attended Whangarei Primary and Whangarei High School before securing a job as office boy at the then-Whangarei Borough Council in 1938 aged 17.
The council became a huge part of Mr Wilson's life and he worked his way up through the ranks for 42 years, finally retiring in 1981 as the city council's general manager - today's equivalent of chief executive officer.
His loyalty and love for the city of Whangarei continued right up until his passing. On a recent trip around the Hatea Loop in his wheelchair, Mr Wilson was suitably impressed but, as one who had spent so many years managing the city's purse strings, made the comment, "I wonder how much this cost?".
Though he didn't talk about it much, he served for five years in the New Zealand Army during WWII and, at the age of 21, was posted to the Second NZ Expeditionary Force - initially to North Africa and Maadi Camp in Egypt, and from there to Italy until the end of the war when he returned to Whangarei.
He married Joyce in November 1948, with the arrival over the next 20 years of seven children. Mr Wilson was a dedicated family man who instilled community spirit in his children.
In his retirement, Mr Wilson was involved in many community events - helping at the annual St Francis Xavier School gala, King's Empire Veterans, Whangarei RSA Bowling Club and the Anglican Church, to name a few.
He is survived by his wife of 68 years Joyce; five of his children Dennis, Carol, Sharon, Mark and Helen; and his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
