Lady Verna and Sir Colin Meads in South Africa, 1970. Photo / Wessel Oosthuizen
Lady Verna and Sir Colin Meads in South Africa, 1970. Photo / Wessel Oosthuizen
Lady Verna Meads, wife of the late former All Black Sir Colin "Pinetree" Meads has died, aged 85.
A mother of five, grandmother of 14 and great-grandmother of 13, Verna was a devoted wife to Colin from 1957 until he died in 2017, at age 81.
Three of their childrenplayed representative sport. Rhonda Wilcox represented the Silver Ferns netball team, Glynn "Pinecone" Meads played and managed rugby for King Country and youngest daughter Shelley Mitchell played for the New Zealand women's basketball team.
Verna and Colin Meads raised their family on a farm on the outskirts of Te Kūiti and continued to live in the area afterwards.
"Heartfelt love and sympathies to the wider Meads family following the recent passing of the much-loved Lady Verna Meads, wife of the late great Sir Colin Meads," said King Country Rugby on Facebook.
"King Country Rugby offers its sincerest condolences to the family as they grieve and honour Lady Verna - we remember her as one of us just as Pinetree was."
