OBITUARY

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXII, Issue 222, 8 December 1926, Page 5

OBITUARY

DISTRICT BEREAVEMENT .MR PAUL HUNTER Widespread .'egret, • coupled whh sympathy fur Airs Hunter and family, and Sir George Hunter, M.P., has been, occasioned by the somewhat unexpected fatal termination of the operation Mr Paul Hunter underwent on. the 24th ult in the Waipukurau Hospital. It was reported in our columns' on Monday afternoon that the, condition) of .'Mr Hunter showed continued improvement, and the general impression —as sincerely desired — was that the patient had. stood the ordeal of the amputation of the affected leg so v.’ell that it encouraged the hope of his eventual recovery from the effects of septic poisoning. He passe*.! away, how-

ever, very peacefully, and unexpectedly. shortly after 7 o'clock on Monday

night. The late Mr Hunter, who was aged 68, was a son of the late Air. George Hunter, first Mayor of 'Wellington, and a brother of Sir George Hunter, 3F.P. He was born in Wellington, ami as a young man took up sheep-farming with his brother, Air George (now Sir George) Hunter, at Porangahau, where they established the Porangahau Station, which they carried on in conjunction for many years, though in recent years the property was divided.

Air Paul Hunter had taken a very active part in the affairs of Waipukurau and district, particularly as chairman of directors of the Waipukurau Dairy Co.,' a member of the Waipawa Hospital Board, vice-president and treasurer of the Waipukurau Agricultural and Pastoral Association, and president of the Waipukurau Club. At an earlier period he was chairman of the then Porangahau Road Board. Always keenly interested in racing, and in sport of every kind, the late Air Hunter "was president, treasurer and. starter of the old Porangahau RacingClub, president and treasurer of the Waipukurau Jockey Club and president of the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club. He was also president of the N.Z. Kennel Club. He was a supporter in a. very practical manner of these ami many other institutions, and a friend to a large circle of people, especially in the Waipukurau and Porangahau districts. The name of Air Paul Hunter, in association with his brother, Sir Geo. Hunter, ALP., is a household one throughout Hawke’s Bay and in fact the Dominion as applied to agricultural and pastoral circles. Air Hunter was beloved by all who knew him, and his genial smile and kindly greting will be missed by all sections of the community. The soldier settlers, too, will regret deeply the loss of a firm and true friend and generous helper, for in conjunction with his brother, Sir George Hunter, 31. P., he donated £30,000 worth of land in the Porangahau district to the Government for soldier settlement purposes. He leaves a widow and grown-up family, to all of whom, in their great sorrow’ will go out the deep sympathy of a wide circle of friends throughout the whole of Hawke’s Bay. The members of the family circle are: — Alessrs Percy, James, Cyril, am! George, (the latter of Adelaide, South Australia,) and Aliss Helen Hunter. IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY. As a last tribute of respect to the jnemory of the late Mr Paul Plunter, a large number of members of local bodies including the Borough Council, Hospital, Board.. County Councils, and Central Hawke’s Bay Power Board, also various other public and semipublic bodies, such as the Waipukurau .lackey Club, Waipukurau Branch of the H.B. War Relief Assn., Returned Soldiers Association, Waipukurau CoOperative Dairy Coy., and Waipukurau Club, as well as other citizens and settlors cognisant of the arrangements to take the mortal remains to Papakihau Station, Porangahau, the late home of the deceased gentleman, assembled at the Waipukurau Hospital yesterday afternoon at 1.45 p.m. Stewards of the Jockey Club —Dr C. Raymond, Alessrs P. F. Walk T. E. Whelch, John Winlove, 11. A. Speedy, J. O’Reilly, and A. Johnston —acted as pall-bearers incidental to the removal of the coffin from the Hospital and in the public phase of the funeral obseques, which were completed privately at the homestead yesterday. A procession, headed by Sir George Hunter, AF.P., and Air P. F. Wall, was formed and the motor conveying the body was followed as far as,the cemetery, which marks the town boundary. An impressive farewell salute Was given as' the last sad journey' was taken along the Porangahau roads. The coffin

was covered with a Union Jack, and beautiful floral tributes. A note of poignant regret was evident on all sides as the late Air Hunter had earned the genuine admiration of all sections of the community by reason of his many fine qaulitics and in particular the outstanding cliaracteristic of unostentatious gen e r o sif y. The Retf/ B. R. Brierly, vicar of Porangahau, conducted the funeral rites in the. presence of relatives ami station employees. MAYOR’S TRIBUTE. His Worship the Alayor (Air E. A. Goodgcr) comments as follows on the death of Air Paul Hunter: — iC Waipukurau and district mourn the. loss of its best loved and most valued citizen. Air Paul Hunter was universally recognised as the real father of Waipukurau. His wonderfully sympathetic • nature and. boundless generosity, were' the admiration of all. No man will be missed more. His loss to the district is irreparable. He was one of the whitest” men who ever lived. Big hearted, and generous to a fault, he -was one of nature’s gentlemen. His innumerable benefactions will never s be forgotten, and his revered memory will be cherished for many years to come.” 1