OBITUARY

Southland Times, Issue 24447, 29 May 1941, Page 4

OBITUARY

MRS MARGARET HOWIE (Special) AUCKLAND, May 28. The victim of a street accident at Epsom on Tuesday night, the late Mrs Margaret Wright Howie, of Logan Court Flats, was well-known in Presbyterian Church circles in Auckland and had many friends in Otago and Southland, where she spent nearly the whole of her life before coming to Auckland eight years ago. Mrs Howie, who was 73, was the widow of the late Mr John Howie. She was born in Dunedin and was the fourth daughter of the late Mr Thomas Todd, who arrived in Otago by the ship Caribou about 1863. During her long residence in Dunedin and Invercargill and latterly in Auckland, she took a keen and active interest in the work of the Presbyterian Church, particularly missions. Of a family of six sons and four daughters, two sons predeceased her. These were Lieutenant William Howie, who was killed in the last war. and Dr. Tennyson Howie, of Kong Chuen Mission Hospital, China, who died in New Zealand from an illness contracted in the course of his work. Another son, Dr. A. H. Howie, is a medical missionary stationed at Chefoo, China. Two of her sons and one daughter live in Auckland and there are 17 grandchildren. The interment will take place at Invercargill.

MR R. C. THOMPSON (Rec. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 27. The death has occurred of Mr Reginald Campbell Thompson, the famous oriental student. MR F. W. PLATTS, C.M.G. The death occurred at Frankton Junction last week of Mr Frederick William Platts, who was a stipendiary magistrate from 1921 to 1934. Born in Melbourne in 1865 Mr Platts received his early education in the Victorian capital before coming to New Zealand. He attended the Otago Boys’ High School. He entered the University of Otago, at which he took his LL.B, degree in 1895, in which year he was captain of the University Rugby fifteen. Mr Platts practised law at Port Chalmers and Dunedin for about 20 years. He was Mayor of Port Chalmers from 1909 to 1911 and was a member of the Otago Harbour Board from 1909 to 1915? He was also choirmaster for many years at Holy Trinity Church, Port, Chalmers. In 1915 he was appointed resident commissioner at Rarotonga and chief judge of the Cook Islands, and he held these positions until 1921, when he resigned and was appointed a stipendiary magistrate. In 1922 he had the honour of C.M.G. conferred upon him. While in Otago, Mr Platts took a great interest in Rugby football and also in rowing. He was a life captain of the Port Chalmers Rowing Club. He is survived by his wife, a daughter and two sons, one of whom is a medical officer serving with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force overseas.

MR ALAN MacKENZIE The death has occurred of Mr Alan MacKenzie, of Nightcaps, at the age of 26. Mr MacKenzie, who was born without arms, overcame the great disability and became known throughout the Dominion, as an excellent singer and a clever artist with colours of black and white. He had a gift for impersonation and could give excellent imitations of many well-known singers. He turned his attainments to good account at the Centennial Exhibition in Wellington. Quite early in his school career at Nightcaps he attracted notice, and there he learned to write with a pen held by his toes. Soon he had better control over his feet than many persons have over their hands. He later studied at the Southland Technical College and at the Dunedin Technical College. While in Invercargill he studied singing with Mr Kennedy Black who, with Mr T. H. Jenkin, worked on the idea of Mr MacKenzie doing lightning sketches in colour which illustrated a song.