Mayor Steve Chadwick takes time off to refocus after husband dies

Acting Rotorua mayor Dave Donaldson will lead the city while Steve Chadwick (right) takes time off after the death of her husband. Photo/File

Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick will take two weeks off after the sudden death of her husband John and has handed over her mayoral duties to deputy Dave Donaldson.

Mr Chadwick, 72, died suddenly last Friday in Rotorua Hospital, with his wife by his side.

Rotorua Lakes Council chief executive Geoff Williams told councillors at a committee meeting yesterday he and Mr Donaldson had spoken to Mrs Chadwick and "she indicated her intent was to take some time away from council business".

"She will look to come back and reintroduce herself gradually back to the organisation, but there will need to be a period of time she does take away.

"Over that period the deputy mayor clearly will be acting for the mayor on all matters and will also have mayor's delegations with respect to the approvals of contracts and so on," Mr Williams said.

Mrs Chadwick spoke to the Rotorua Daily Post from her home in Kawaha Point yesterday saying she was very tired and would take another fortnight off her work helping run the district.

"I've had a lot of energy over the last week and now I feel very tired, but also content being at home with close family and friends.

"I have a wonderful deputy in Dave and I'm totally confident the chief executive and his team will work very well together while I'm away," she said.

Mrs Chadwick wanted to thank the Rotorua community for its support.

"It was such a great honour given to us by Te Arawa to have John at Tamatekapua (meeting house) and it has reaffirmed our life's work, our activism and the value of multi-culturalism.

"There was such a great range of community faces who came to pay their respects.

"We as a family can't thank the community enough, it's just been amazing and genuinely heartfelt. I savoured that time and now I'm tired and know I need time off."

She said the last week since Mr Chadwick's death had been "very profound and very beautiful".

"I've been told to take time and reflect, look after myself and look forward to something.

"My son, Eli, has announced he will be getting married this time next year too.

"John's was a life lived to the full - different, eccentric and profound. He didn't fit the mould, he was a wanderer with deep veins into many parts of New Zealand, so next year we are going on a hikoi with the family to follow his tribal lines.

"But I feel really happy and I'll be back at work soon. My children are anchoring me at the moment."