Helen Clark farewells mother at service

Helen Clark supports her father, George, as family, friends, locals and MPs farewell Margaret 'Peggy' Clark at the Waihi Beach United Church yesterday. Photo / Supplied

Former prime minster Helen Clark farewelled her mother at a funeral service in Waihi Beach yesterday.

The small Waihi Beach United Church was full to overflowing for Margaret Clark's funeral.

The Waihi Beach resident, who was known as Peggy, died in Tauranga Hospital last Wednesday, with her daughter by her side. She had been ill for several weeks.

Miss Clark, who is now based in New York heading the United Nations Development Programme, has been visiting her parents for the past three weeks.

Many of Miss Clark's former parliamentary colleagues attended the funeral, along with family, friends and local Waihi Beach residents.

Mr and Mrs Clark had been married 62 years, and retired to live at Waihi Beach in 1987. They both enjoyed full involvement with the beach community.

Miss Clark, speaking on behalf of her father, said the funeral was a celebration of her mother's life.

She spoke about their early days and said her mother had a great enquiring mind, a love of literature and used her school teaching skills to teach her daughters to read.

She said her mother and father retired and moved to Waihi Beach 24 years ago from the Waikato town of Te Pahu.

Miss Clark paid tribute to Waihi Beach United Church and its congregation in helping with the funeral.

She said the family owed an enormous debt of gratitude to the staff at Tauranga Hospital for their loving care during her mother's illness.

"Not a day will pass when we won't think of Mum," she said in finishing.

Mrs Clark is survived by her husband and four daughters.

-APNZ