Ray Turner designed some of the most architecturally interesting homes in Napier. Photo / Supplied
OBITUARY:
In the words of his devoted family, one of Hawke's Bay most imaginative, creative and skilled builders left his mark on the world through his work as well as in the hearts of all those who knew him, and in many cases inspired.
Ray Turner, who built a series of architecturally remarkable houses across the region, and founded the Pryda construction business factory in Onekawa during the 1940s, passed away on April 24 in Burleigh Waters, Australia, surrounded by his family.
He was 94.
"He was a gregarious person, always thinking, designing and inventing, and generous to a fault," a family spokesperson said.
The generous side of his fine character was summed up when he decided to sell Pryda when he was 61.
When he announced he would be selling up he spoke of how small ideas and products could grow to be valuable to so many.
"You can watch the growth of an idea and put all the work into developing it, to the stage when one day you must say enough is enough".
So he sold up, and distributed the returns of the sale to his children so they could have their own homes.
"What good is it leaving money in your will to your family...instead they can make use of it while they're young and you can have the pleasure of seeing them happy and contented and you can help and guide them," he wrote.
He was clearly a gregarious person, always thinking, designing and inventing, and generous to a fault, and his seven children and his many grand and great grand-children each carry a spark of his creativity, generosity and entrepreneurial spirit.
He was born Arthur Ray Turner in 1924 and grew up in London, and it became clear he was always one to grab opportunity, even if it came dressed in overalls and looking like work — a quality he keep his whole life.
From scrumping (gathering apples from the orchard and reselling them in town), to picking mushrooms, to delivering the evening paper... at the cost of his homework, he earned enough to help out family and neighbours during the depression.
He balanced this hard work during childhood with some mischief, such as dressing his brother as a Guy on Guy Fawkes and gathering shopping bags full of daffodils from the grounds of derelict mansions in the countryside, filling his childhood home with yellow and giving flowers to all his neighbours.
Ray and his brother John joined the Merchant Navy during the war, and over 14 voyages he saw much of the world and this gave him a thirst for travel.
At the end of the war he chose New Zealand, and Napier, as the place he wanted to call home and he settled in and became a builder.
His family also moved over from England, and he married Gloria and they went on to have seven children, Daryl, Sonia, Raewyn, Debra, Gaye, Gregory and Paul.
He built a number of houses around Hawke's Bay as well as the Tropicana Motel, and had a sharp and creative eye for architecture.
The home he built for his family off Meeanee Rd around 1960 was notable for its sloping wood grain soffits, huge windows and sliding doors with reindeer scenes etched on the glass — tourist buses would stop on their scenic tours and it was even featured on a postcard.
It was ahead of its time, as Debbie Sutcliffe, who with husband Jim is the present owner having bought it from Jim's mum Gladys in 1986.
Gladys and husband Ray had bought it in 1961.
"It was very much before its time," Debbie said.
"It was all inbuilt - inbuilt beds and cupboards and wardrobes...it was a very visionary house and we love it...we're not moving."
She met Ray Turner several times when he visited from Australia where he had shifted to and remembers him as a devoted "very inventive" man.
There is an additional slice of history on the section also - the walnut tree out front is more than 100 years old and was planted by the monks from the Mission.
Throughout his life Ray Turner could nor stop inventing, and patented more than 100 inventions during his life.
His first major invention in 1954 was an automatic photographic radar speed detector.
He was in his 40s when he decided to leave the building trade, and drew upon his creativity and entrepreneurialism to form Pryda — which is still operating today in the Onekawa Industrial area.
Their first product were plastic and spring door stops which feature in many Kiwi homes.
Ray drew on his experience in the building trade to create seemingly simple but ingenious inventions.
He went on to invent the claw nail plate as well as steel truss technology along with a string of other products.
Pryda and Ray's products were so successful they had to start importing galvanised steel into New Zealand to fulfil their needs.
In so many ways his inventions helped revolutionise the building industry.
The business expanded into Australia, the US, Fiji and South Africa, and ever generous and keen to lend a hand he helped develop a school on Waya Island, in Fiji, which named a class after him, and he got Napier residents involved in donating clothing and sewing machines.
Throughout this time in his life he kept the work ethic he had developed in childhood, working up to 16-hour days as well as pursuing his love of travelling.
He went on to move to Australia, and ensured family was always the main focus.
"Ray spent time enjoying time with his family for many years, telling funny stories about his life, always loving, thoughtful, generous and humble and always, always inventing," was how they lovingly summed him up.