OBITUARY

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXI, Issue 12417, 3 December 1934, Page 5

OBITUARY

CANON H. PACKE

Widespread sorrow will ,be felt t by every class of the community at the news of the death yesterday, of,Canon Horace Packe, former 'Vicar, of Holy Trinity Church. Since Ins retirement some two years ago, Canon Packe'has been in ill-heail'th, and 4 has suffered greatly, so that death in reality came as a happy release. During the past Slortniglit he has, been of Cock Hospital, and despite ’his suffering retained,his kindly cheerful nature to-the end.On Saturday lie appeared (little worse than usual, hut when visited yofsterday morning it was • found that !;h6' had passed away quietly in his sleep. : Canon Packe was born in Leicestershire in 1866 and completed his education at? Worcester College, Oxford.

where he took his.*B.A. degree In 1890, add a'year : f;ater passed his M.A. examination. In the same year he was appointed deacon at Chichester, and whs ordained priest in the same parish in 1892. From JB9l to .1&23 he" was curate at St. Mary Magdalene, Hastings*, and chaplain of St. Leonard’s school, Hastings, In

189 t he was appointed curate of Barrington, and held that position for about one year, when he decided to venture abroad, accepting an appointment as curate at St. George’s CaUieclral, Georgetown, .British Guiana. South America, however,, was not too attractive to the young curate, for, after eighteen , months ho made another move,, when he left to take up the work, of chaplain of the Gild Coast Cqlpny in West Africa, commencing liis duties in 1897. the, course .o?'ins two years in ■West"Africa,.. that unhealthy place which lias, proved the. graveyard'' of thousands of white, men, "Canon Packe was stricken with: the deadly Ljackwater fc.vcr, which laid the seeds of the disease that .eventually caused his death. A, chaplaiiris. duties in this wild part of the earth were no si'nebure, and Canon Packe j had some thril|Hhg experiences. Of these as a rule,, he’ would say little, but how and again' some chance remark would bring forth reminiscences which gave some idea, of! the life in that part of the The. native inhabitants consist of a large' number"of triben each speaking their own" dialect,‘ and communication therefore was not easy.

'' Canon Paelic On one occasion recalled what, lie claimed was one of his most exciting experiences, the sole white man with a party of Native police hunting down a Native who had killed a white man. The party bad to penetrate dense jungle and ford dangerous .streams;, but even tually their . search was successful. Both ,by virtue 0.l his prestige as a white, man and as the chaplain of the colony. Canon Pa eke had to take a prominent part in the execution, which was carried out in strict accordance with the law. From Accra, the capital of the Cold k Coast, Canon.Packe then ventured in- 1 to the S.outli Seas, taking up an appointment as vicar oj Suva, Fiji, in IBS'S. Here he remained for 8 years when lie came on to New Zealand as vicar of Wakatipu in 1007. After five rears there he was transferred to Invercargill, where he remained from 1912 to 1915, the latter portion of the time as Archdeacon of Invercargill. In 1915 he was appointed Vicar of Holy Trinity Church, Gisborne;, and held that position until his retirement in 1932. In 1921 he was appointed Canon of Waiapu. From the time of his arrival in this town Canon Packe proved popular, his genial and radiating personality making him hosts of friends. The Great War was then, in its second year, and Canon Packe entered whole heartedly into any movement for the welfare of the men, for lie war, intensely patriotic. Then when sorrowing news came for the relatives, his task was to soothe many a brokenhearted relative. At various times, Gisborne, one of the largest parishes in New Zealand, was without the help oJ even one curate, and).' Canon Packe had to cover;the •whole district as best ho cotild,’ This was a terrible strain, and helped largely in his eventual breakdown of health. Even when suffering severely however, Canon Pac.ke.was always coiirteous and kind, always willing to help Anyone, and with a great sense of humor. Needless to say he was beloved by all and there will be many isad hearts in Gisborne to-day. Canon Packe’s outstanding hobby wts music, which he simply loved. He wcfj a talent?d pianoforte player, and was never seen to better advantage . than in singing a song and playing his own accompaniment. To him the theatre was a brqat.li of lilfe, and he once admitted that the glamor, of the stage had never left him since the days oil.his youth. At the annual Gisborne Competitions; there never was and never will be a more enthusastic official than Canon Packe, Music, especially by the was a passion with him, and his light and delicate, touch on the keys will he recalled doubtless by liundreds of his friends. Canon Packe took a keen interest in Freemauonry, and was a Past Grand Chaplain in the Grand 'Lodge. For a number of years}, he was an enthusiastic Rotarian. In addition to the widow, a family of Live are left to mourn their loss. These' comprise four daughters—Mrs Arthur Pittar (Tolaga Bay), Mrs Eon (Fitzgerald (Hangafoa), and ' /Misses Joan, and Florence Packe (Gisborne). aM-/one son-,'Mr Vere Packe (Gisborne). - Tlis body was taken to Holy Trinity Church il'ast evening, and laid m posi- /, tion before the altar. It,will regain there until the. funeral, which will , leave the church at 2.30 p.m. to-day for the Taruheru cemetery.

MEMORIAL’ SERVICE

CANON HALL’S EULOGISTIC

TRIBUTE

Tn Holy Trinity Church last .evening, an, eloquent sermon Hyas preached fty Canon’A. F. H'aJil'j'who in .his op-j jenirig atatc'd that f !i Canon' Packe had died in his sleep..at 4.20, that morning.,‘l>iu-ihg'.th'e eyeriing;the.; hymn “FW Ever With the Lord” was §ung. t j Canon Hall took for h's .tgxt the I2th verse of l th o first chapter of Timothy: “For the which cause I also i suffer these things nevertheless I 1

' am not ashamed, for I know whom 1 Ji a Vfi 1 h Oil’i evc'd;ancl am persuaded that ■He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that iday.” Although during the last three 3'ears Canon Packe had been, so to npeak, behind the scenes, said Canon Hall, he'teok a most vivid and intense /interest in the affairs of his old parish. Many times the (speaker had gone to him and told him of affairs connected;, Tfith the church, and he ha"cf slibwn ’stieh' outstanding interest that the speaker felt suro that Cainon Picke’S prayers for the parish had never ceased. It was no easy, thing to stand aside AvlieVb one has been so i much to a/church, that not the slightest thought or criticism is made on the new regime. But Canon Packe did that. '’'Canon .Packe and himself had been friends nineteen years ago and had inever ceased to be friends.

There nvero many people in the church who had ’tender and happy memories o*J Canon Packe, con tinned the preacher. There were so many he Jiacl helped, of which the outside world knew nothing. They had memories of his joy and peace* of his long suffering and his tenderness. He had borne his suffering with never a complaint. Only a: week ago he told .the speaker that ibr thirty-five years he had beenisuffcrilig from a disability. ‘‘Yet”, paid. Canon “there was never a complaint; Tie 1 was always cheerful. ' How Was he able to carrv on? How could you and I stand up to d. future such as lie knew was liis How was it he had no ffcar?” Ho said to the /speaker": “I would like to know if this illness is the last; I am doing my best- to get ready!” How was it he could talk' like that? It was because lie knew Christ, How could any of those present bear all the pain and suffering experienced by Canon Packe,' without Christ? “Cue does feel that underneath aj.l that bubbling humor and joy of! Horace Packe was a deep-rooted religion a deep-rooted faith, which no adversity could move.” said Canon Hall. “Let us therefore have nothing but thanks that the'Worn-out body is at rest, nothing but thanks lor the kind thoughts we have of him, and prayers for those whom lie left behind. We thank God for his (life, and we pray that he may find peace in the presence .of God whom *he loved, and Whose courage he reflected in his life.”-

MPvS A. M. WHITE, NGATA PA Much regret will be expressed on account of the death of Mrc. A. M. White, of Ngatapa, who passed away very suddenly and unexpectedly on Saturday afternoon. Mrs White was born at Blenheim and was, the fourth daughter of the late Mr and Mrs John Holmes of Wellington. Mr Holmes will bo remembered as the New Zealad Trade Commissioner to England and later ag a Royal Commissioner to the present King on His Majesty’s visit- to New Zealand in 1902. Airs White was educated at Wellington and took up nursing at the general h capital there.'Later, she was on the (Staff at Hannier Sanatorium where she gained her T.B. diploma. Subsequently she joined the Dental Service and. was in charge of the Gisborne clinic” from its commencement till her marriage in 1929. Wherever she went she made many friends.

To mourn their loss j n addition to her husband are three sisters: Mrs D K. Drummond, of Cromwell!'; Mrs D. Bridge, of Wellington* and Mrs A. Williams, of Christchurch, and two hrothcrf;, Messrs Arthur and Ivan Holmes, of Wellington.