Much-loved Eddie made his mark as a 'restorationist'

PALLBEARERS: Son Kevin Bannister (left) and grandson William Bannister help to carry the coffin of Edmund Masters Bannister.PHOTOS/LYNDA FERINGA

WAIRARAPA bid farewell to Edmund Masters Bannister, known as Eddie, at a funeral in Masterton, earlier this week. Family and friends gathered at St Patrick's Church to remember Mr Bannister, farmer, conservationist and descendant of Joseph Masters, the founder of Masterton.

Mr Bannister, 88, died on November 12 after a fall. He leaves behind six children, 18 grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Born in Masterton on June 21, 1925, the fourth child of eight, Mr Bannister lived at Westmere, the family farm.

He went to Wairarapa College but left school at 14 and went on to work at Gough, Gough and Hamer as a trainee mechanic on tractors. After his brother, Wilfred, left to go to war, he returned to work on the farm, where he remained until retiring in 1985, at 60.

He married Noeline in 1951 and, in 1953, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. From 1954 to 1961, the couple had six children: Kevin, Suzanne, Kaye, Joseph, and twins Denise and Rosemary.

He was a competitive rifle shooter and played indoor and outdoor bowls, going away to national bowls tournaments with his wife every June. The couple moved into Masterton after Mr Bannister retired and Noeline died in 1998.

Conservation was important to Mr Bannister who called himself a restorationist. He was involved with Fensham Reserve near Carterton and the formation of a circuit track around 38 hectares of regenerating bush.

In October 1996, he won the Senior Achievers Award for Certificate of Excellence honouring his voluntary services and was awarded the Wairarapa Farm Forestry Association 2002 Forde Shield for native forest restoration. They were followed in May 2011 with the Sir Charles Burns Memorial Award for control of diabetes with insulin for a period of 50 years or more.

His daughter-in-law, Suzanne Bannister, said at the funeral: "Eddie is a much loved gentleman, with a magnificent beard, an exceptional personality and will be dearly missed. He will be remembered with love by all who knew him".

Information taken from the eulogy given by Suzanne Bannister.