David Harold Horne 1954 - 1958

David's greatest love was travel which he started with a trip to Australia in 1959. Recently he travelled to Los Angeles to receive a certificate from the 'Travelers Country Club' for travelling to more than 300 countries and territories. I believe he has been to more nations than any other New Zealander.

He said that some countries are very, very dangerous. Recently he was in West Africa and things were a bit dicey there. His favourite country was Greenland, especially its southern forests, which had white hares, foxes and ''fields of bluebells so sweet that you can eat''. He posed the question – ''Do you know what you do if you get lost in a Greenland forest? You stand up, because the forest is only 1m high.''

David passed the School Certificate Examination in 1957 and gained University Entrance in 1958. On leaving school David attended the Dunedin Teachers College in 1959. David taught in many schools throughout the country. He served as a School Principal for many years before he retired, from his last job at Mataura School in 1992.

As a School Principal, David hated paperwork. In his retirement, he is the secretary of no fewer than 15 organisations. He was also a member of 24 other groups, David could be described as the ultimate volunteer.

He spent about 40 hours a week on secretarial duties and meetings. That includes the 45 minutes it takes him to walk and run from his St Kilda home to meetings in central Dunedin - no big deal for a man who climbed Mt Kilimanjaro years ago and liked to stay physically active.

He handled the minutes, agendas and correspondence for a wide range of organisations, from the Carers' Society, the Dunedin Council of Social Services, the King’s High School Old Boy’s Association and the Field Club Committee to a Lions club, the Otago Rock and Mineral Club and the St Kilda Community Club.

He played bowls, was an ESOL Tutor, a Reader at Bathgate Park School, a French-speaking guide at St Paul's Cathedral and a Lay Minister in the Anglican Church.

David lived a very full and adventurous life. A very different life to most New Zealanders.

David passed away on Sunday the 12th of March 2023.