Assault victim honoured

Press, 5 December 1978, Page 3

Assault victim honoured

A big crowd filled the (Salvation Army Citadel in Victoria Square yesterday for |the funeral of Captain Anithony Sushames, a social (worker, who died on Novem(3o, at the age of 41. after lying in a coma for almost (nine years. ( The funeral was held nine (years to the day after CapI tain Sushames (at right) was (hit on the head with a stone |as he attempted to help a Iman who had been injured (in a brawl at Wellington. ( Captain Sushames was on i his wav home from church i with his wife. Helen, and (three children, on the day ol (the incident when he stopped his car to help the man. When he bent down he (was dealt a savage blow i which left him crippled, blind i and mute. He never recov- | ered consciousness. Mrs Sushames regularly i flew to Wellington to visit | her husband at his Porirua I Hospital bedside, but he ; never showed any sign of I recognition. I The funeral service was led by Major K. S. Bridge, commander of the CanterburyWestland division of the Salvation Army. Mr S. W. Harris, of the Sydenham corps, paid tribute to Mr Sushames. Mr Harris said that 20 j years ago, only a month i after he had joined the SalvaI tion Army, he was introduced to a fellow member, (playing in the Salvation Army Band on a street cor-j ner in Colombo Street. “This was my first introduction to Tony Sushames.; He had arrived from Tas- 1

mania that day,” Mr Harris ( ; said. He quoted from a poem by! the celebrated Australian! ; poet, Henry Lawson: 1 “He was never one who ’

(could pass by on the other i side.” ( Mr Harris s,aid that Mr j Sushames had lived a useful. , purposeful life, and had died ’ trying to help another man.

‘ He did not live as long as we wanted, but his life was not wasted,” Mr Harris said. Major G. Brinsden. commanding officer of the Christchurch City corps, closed the service with benediction as the coffin was taken out of the citadel. Mr Sushames married Sister Helen Drayton, whom he had met through the Salvation Army, and the ouple later left Christchurch o live in Wellington. Mrs Sushames. who now ives with her family at the >alvation Army’s Bethany lospital in Christchurch and s a social worker there, has eceived gifts totalling $3OOO ince her husband's death. Major Bridge said that Mrs Sushames had been quite overwhelmed by the response to her tragedy. He said that she had studied for her social work qualifications at university and had just sat examinations. She would now’ take her family away for a holiday. One donation of $lOOO has been made by a Christchurch businessman, Mr A. M. Satterthwaite, and his wife. Mr Satterthwaite, who is the governing director of Satterthwaite and Company, general merchants, said that he had always had a close interest in the Salvation Army. ‘‘Mrs Sushames is the innocent victim of a tragic circumstance.” he said. A Tauranga businessman and former mayor of that city, Mr R. A. Owens, and his family gave $2OOO to Mrs Sushames and her family.