The sudden death of Harry Edward has robbed his family and Rotorua of one of life's great characters.
The long-time local lawyer with a personality to burn, reputation for his off-beat sense of humour and as an all-round good guy has died, aged 69.
The father of three, including Olympicrower Julia Edward who represented New Zealand at the London 2012 games, was the second youngest of the well-known Edward brothers, the sons of general practitioner Dr Bob Edward and his wife Isla.
Harry Edward at the 2014 Bay of Plenty Sports Awards with Julia Edward and Sue Edward. Photo / File
With the exception of his brother Tony who lives in Auckland and is also a lawyer, the Edward whānau are etched into the Rotorua community's landscape by their respective professional careers and musicality.
Playing as The Edward Brothers (Harry once said they couldn't think of a better name) they've headlined many local events; the legal eagle was the one on the harmonica.
The majority of Harry Edward's education was in Rotorua - at Rotorua primary, a foundation pupil at Sunset Primary and on to Rotorua Boys' High before his parents headed to Ashburton where his two final school years were spent.
Rugby was a Harry Edward passion and during a stint with a King Country stock firm he played with and against the great Colin Meads.
One of his treasured possessions had been the autographed copy of Brian Turner's book on Meads; Pinetree's flyleaf dedication reads: "To Harry - I should have punched you harder".
Long-standing Rotorua lawyer Harry Edward. Photo / Supplied
Harry Edward went to the King Country not long after leaving school and spent an enjoyable stint in advertising.
Brother Tony recounts that Harry thought of himself as a rugged outdoorsman who was attracted to the stock firm job because it offered free toll calls and a brand new station wagon. "He wrote it off, then another one."
By his early 20s, Harry Edward decided to educate himself, joining Hamilton Teachers' Training College.
It was there he met wife-to-be Sue.
"Harry walked into a lecture late, I said to the girl beside me 'he'd be a good man to marry'.
There were a lot of false starts. "Whenever Harry attempted to talk to me he bumbled around, often ending up walking away from me."
Rotorua lawyer Harry Edward in 2007. Photo / File
Regardless, their relationship developed. "We were at a friend's wedding in Hastings when Harry got on the microphone and announced we were getting married, I didn't know a thing about it."
Both went teaching but it wasn't the right fit for Harry Edward.
The couple transferred to Christchurch where he studied law. Sue was the breadwinner but he worked through the holidays to help put him through university.
Once graduated, he joined a Whakatāne law firm for four years before settling on Rotorua. There was a High Court here and he'd found his niche in criminal law. He went into private practice in 1988.
Harry Edward (right) in 2010 when he was joined at the practice by Wiremu Te Are. Photo / File
Sue Edward began working part-time for her husband, later in a full-time capacity in conveyancing.
As his brothers swap Harry-centric yarns Dave comes up with this doozy: "Every Christmas there'd be a present 'from me to me' under the tree. It was, of course, Harry's."
Quiz the brothers how best to sum up their sibling and the consensus is: "A brilliant raconteur, the essence of kindness."
Put the same question to his wife and she responds: "People had no idea how intelligent, clever and smart he was."
The tributes paid to him since his death on Sunday put a lie to that.
Harry Edward was indeed a man for all people – in particular, Rotorua people.
He is survived by his wife of 43 years Sue, daughter Julia, and sons Christopher and Jeremy.
