Terry Hawkey with his daughter Donna Looyen in 2014. Photo / File
Terry Hawkey with his daughter Donna Looyen in 2014. Photo / File
The world is going to be a lesser place without Terry Hawkey.
The avid wrestler and elderly advocate died on Monday, aged 95.
His daughter, Donna Looyen, told the Rotorua Daily Post her father would be remembered for his impact on New Zealand wrestling and contribution to Grey Power Rotorua.
"I think the world is going to be a lesser place without dad. He was a force to be reckoned with and everybody who knew him loved him."
Hawkey lived in Rotorua with his family from about 1983, initially moving to buy local skating rink Skate World.
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He was involved in wrestling throughout his life, starting in 1941 before being forced to give it up after developing a lung disorder called pleurisy.
But he stayed involved in coaching and refereeing, including at Rotorua Boys' High School.
Looyen said her father was a FILA Grade 1 referee and was often overseas when she was growing up, refereeing at the likes of the Olympics and Commonwealth Games. He is a life member of the New Zealand Olympic Wrestling Union.
He joined Grey Power Rotorua in the late 90s and was a member for 21 years, 14 of them as president. He was also involved with Age Concern.
"He always had a passion for elderly rights and preventing elder abuse. That was a big deal for him."
Over the years Hawkey appeared in the Rotorua Daily Post to talk about surgery wait times, rates, rising doctor's fees, crime, superannuation and more.
His name regularly showed up in the Letters to the Editor.
He was also generous, donating to Red Cross monthly for as long as Looyen could remember.
Looyen said he was the oldest Avon rep in Australasia in 2009.
He featured in the paper that year and said the secret to being able to work at his age was drinking cider vinegar and honey every morning.
Terry Hawkey retired as Grey Power president in 2008. Photo / File
In January last year Hawkey was diagnosed with Esophageal cancer. It was so large that doctors were surprised it hadn't travelled to other organs, Looyen said.
"But because it was very fast growing we were told we might be lucky to have him for a month or two. That was 18 months ago.
"He believed cider vinegar and honey could cure cancer. It didn't cure his but maybe it prevented it spreading. Who knows?"
Hawkey had recently been living in Levin with Looyen's sister but visited Rotorua three weeks ago and was "full of cheek and full of life".
"I would ring him every day and he would say 'I'm so fit I could be dangerous', even if he wasn't."
He took a turn for the worse at the end of last week and Looyen travelled to Levin to say goodbye.
"When I got there he was on a morphine pump to help him with pain but he was able to whisper how much he loved me. He said that over and over.
Terry Hawkey with his late wife Daphne pictured in 2005. Photo / File
"It was hard to leave on Sunday ... I was sobbing because I knew it would be the last time I saw him and he reached up and touched my face.
"He always said to me he would fight long enough for me to get to him to say goodbye but he didn't want me to be there when he died.
"I believe he was waiting for me to leave."
Looyen said her sons were devastated that they couldn't return from Australia to say goodbye but had video-called him last week.
"He's 95, had an incredible life and is known by so many people.
"He was very generous and had a very soft heart. He was a tough man if you double-crossed him but was very loving, very gentle."
Rosemary MacKenzie, who was on the Grey Power Rotorua committee at the same time as Hawkey, said he was a well-known identity in Grey Powers circles and became a life member of Grey Power Rotorua and the national body.
"He was a stalwart.
"He pursued Grey Power's aims and objectives with quite a zeal ... He was a powerhouse in Grey Power for quite a long time."
MacKenzie recalled Hawkey's advocacy for elderly rights, including one occasion when he "balled up" Helen Clark at an annual general meeting to talk to her about driver licensing retesting rules for the elderly.
"We felt the loss when he decided he had to move on."
Former Rotorua mayor Grahame Hall said he had a lot to do with Hawkey when he was mayor.
"He was very active in the community on issues like retail, issues for the elderly, access and a whole lot of bits and pieces.
"He was a very good man and very dedicated. He had a good vision and was keen to do everything he possibly could for the elderly. He wasn't afraid to take on challenges."
He said Hawkey would let people know what he wanted done and when, and if it wasn't done he'd be around to ask why.
"He wouldn't let issues go. He'd keep at it until it was resolved."
Hall gave Hawkey a community award for his long service to the Rotorua Community.
Looyen said Hawkey was a father of eight, including step-children, and had more grandchildren and great-grandchildren than she could count. His wife of 57 years, Daphne, died in 2010 aged 84.
Hawkey's funeral is on Saturday at Levin Faith Centre at 10.30am.
