OBITUARY

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33370, 31 October 1973, Page 19

OBITUARY

Mr 11. S. Coideiy A former Collector of Customs, and a lay reader in the Anglican Church. Hugh Sherwood Cordery. died in Christchurch last week. He was 93. Mr Cordery led raids on the “Hokonui” whisky stiil ■ in Southland He was the oldest lay reader in the Church. He gave his last sermon. at St John's Church. Christchurch, when he was 90. Mr Cordery. born in Worcestershire, came to New Zealand in 1881. He went to Woolston Schoo! and Christ church Boys’ High School and Joined the Customs Department in 1902. He also assisted his brother in tutoring accountancy at Giiix.,College and graduated B.Comm from Canterbury : University in 1920. He vis then posted to Samoa as the ''Collector of Customs. He returned to New Zealand to ■this position in Invercargill in 1923 and in the years until he retired in 1935 was actively involved in the detection of illegal stills, and led many raids on them in Southland. I After his retirement he came to Christchurch, where he became president of the Dickens Fellowship and gave the 1958 eulogy to the fellow - ship in London. Mr Cordery. m his eighties, i'vas a successful contestant in the “King of Quiz” radio programmes run bv Lvell Boves in the 19605. He was also active in the Masonic Lodge. He is survived by a daughter and two sons.

Scholarship.— 7he winner of the Sacred Heart College I Past Pupils’ Association day scholarship for 1974 is Julia Hailes, a pupil of the Sacred Heart College primary department.