Dying cop's mates pull together to paint his home

Senior Sergeant Vaughan Mead.

When Vaughan Mead was in hospice with terminal cancer, he could have dwelt on many things.

He'd never see his boys James and Finlay grow up. He would never again save someone else's life, spend time with his wife Lisa, or with his police and Salvation Army friends.

These thoughts possibly crossed his mind - but one thing Senior Sergeant Mead really wanted was to have the family house painted for the summer.

Mead was eager to do the job himself. But his good friend and former boss Mark Buttar said after visiting the doctor with a slight pain in early September, Mead was diagnosed with kidney cancer.

Biopsy results a few weeks ago gave more bad news.

"No-one was too sure really how long he was going to be with us," Buttar said.

On an idea from fellow Wellington police officer Carmen Stewart, a group of Mead's mates decided to paint his house.

Buttar, also a Senior Sergeant, said cops and Johnsonville Salvation Army church members first planned to do the job over three weekends.

But members of the public who knew Mead through his voluntary work also pitched in.

And so, last weekend, some forty people gathered to honour their friend. Many arrived at short notice, some cancelling plans they'd made for the long weekend.

Buttar said his mate was a big man with a big heart. The six foot, five inch cop hated the spotlight. "I know he was really embarrassed about the whole thing."

Buttar said it was the least they could do for a man who did so much for so many others.
Mead was expected home on Saturday, after a brief visit to arrange his hospice accommodation. The "working bee" was expected to take three weekends.

Mead didn't make it home on Saturday - but was sent photos of the work. He seemed heartened to see there'd be one less thing for his family to worry about.

"He gave it two thumbs-up. I think he was pretty chuffed to see all his mates there from those three groups he associated with," Buttar said. "Vaughan was always about making sure other people were sorted."

Mead didn't make it home on Sunday either.

"It was not long after people had arrived that word came through, shortly after 9 o'clock in the morning, that things had really accelerated and he'd actually passed away," Buttar said.

"That, I guess, stirred people on...they just pressed on and ended up getting the whole house and garage all completely finished on that Sunday."

By the time Lisa, James and Finlay came home from the hospice later that day, the painting was done.

Buttar said he was honoured to pay tribute to Mead at the big man's memorial service on Thursday.

Over 500 people attended but many didn't know about the voluntary work Mead quietly did. For years, Mead peeled spuds for scores of people at the Salvation Army every Wednesday, serving food to those who couldn't cook for themselves.

Mead was a policeman for nearly 36 years. Buttar said once, when working in Timaru, Mead and his colleagues saved the life of a suicidal man. For that, he won the Commissioner's Commendation - one of the highest awards for police.

Buttar said Mead embodied the concept of service. Tributes were still flowing on Friday, with Buttar receiving a stream of text messages.

"Everyone knew he was a quiet, unassuming guy who would give you the shirt off his back," Buttar said. "He's going to be missed by a huge number of people."