The piano falls silent

By Peter de Graaf

A piano has fallen silent in the Far North, as friends and family mourn a man who brought joy to many through his music.

Wiki Karena, who lost his life on 90 Mile Beach on Sunday June 2, was farewelled with a service at Te Kao's Potahi Marae followed by burial at Te Kao cemetery. He would have celebrated his 83rd birthday next month.

Mr Karena was fishing at The Bluff when he apparently slipped from the rocks. Far North Surf Rescue, police, St John medics and firefighters rushed to the beach, but he was found about two hours later by two Te Kao men who went out searching in a small boat.

On behalf of the family, daughter Debbie Jorgensen said her father was loved by all who knew him and was "truly a gift from God".

"He was a man of many talents; fisherman, builder, musician and jack-of-all trades. He was a man with a big heart, a man of order, very astute but quietly spoken, a man who touched many lives and will be sorely missed," she said.

The family had gained peace from knowing he had died doing what he loved, fishing with a mate, and was glad the sea had returned him so quickly.

Mr Karena, who lived at Pukenui, was known for his musical talent and his custom of starting each day by playing the piano. Neighbour Trish Yerkovich said she would open her back door to enjoy the daily concerts. Once he asked if he should quit, afraid it was disturbing the neighbourhood, but Mrs Yerkovich told him: "Don't you dare stop."

"It was absolutely beautiful. His music made me smile, made me cry and made me laugh. He was that talented. It enriched our lives and I'll certainly miss it," she said.

He and his wife Norma were also extremely generous, always sharing produce from their garden or smoked fish over the fence.

Another neighbour, Monique Wagener, said Mr Karena was the first to welcome her when she moved to Pukenui last year, and would always stop to say hello or share vegetables from his garden. She would miss his cheerful greetings and hearing him play.

"He played all the time. We loved it," she said.

"He'd be playing when I was hanging the washing out, or if we were inside we'd open the windows to hear him."

He was also a regular at Kaitaia's Te Ahu, where he would stop to tickle the ivories whenever he passed through town. Librarian John Haines said staff and visitors thoroughly enjoyed Mr Karena's visits.

"It made our jobs pleasant. Sometimes it was hard to work because we'd just want to listen," he said.

His repertoire focused on old-time classics, from The Sound of Music to Sinatra, but always with his own jazzy twist. He had an uncanny knack of arriving just as a function was starting so visitors thought his performance was pre-arranged.

Born at Te Kao in 1930, Mr Karena left home at the age of 12 to go to a Maori boys' hostel in Auckland. He never learnt to read music, but taught himself to play on a piano his aunt bought from a teacher who was leaving Te Kao School.

He completed a carpentry apprenticeship, built state houses and worked on the Auckland harbourfront before retiring to Pukenui with Norma. He is also survived by children Gary, Keith, Joy, Debbie and Robert, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.