Old Boys' Obituaries

Chris Pike (1972-1976)

Old Boy Christopher Pike (1972-1976) passed away in September 2021 at the age of 63 from a glioblastoma.

Chris was a member of the 1st XI under the captaincy of Greg Dean and is remembered as a steady and technically pleasing batter and off-spin bowler. He is universally remembered as a great team man who was thoughtful, calm, and very considerate.

Chris attended university and became a valued member of the Government Statistics Department, eventually performing work on behalf of the United Nations.

Chris can be defined by his interest in many subjects and pastimes, especially fitness, such as his love of cycling. He has written many articles on cricket statistics and these are easy to find with a Google search. He had a special love for the heavy metal band, Budgie. Chris wrote three books about them and these have been steady sellers. He also received personal tributes from the band upon their learning of his illness and eventual passing.

Here is the communication as sent. Others may be able to add more information. I believe he played in various soccer teams and he was gifted academically. He is one of the hundreds of Palmerston North Boys who delivered papers for the Evening Standard, as it was then.

Jake McKinlay (2014-18)

It is with much sadness that we heard of the tragic passing of recent Old Boy Jake McKinlay in a car accident. Jake attended Boys' High from 2014-18 and was a young man with huge potential. He was a role model for our younger pupils, particularly in basketball where they looked up to him so much. Jake was passionate about his basketball and worked hard to become one of the best players we have had through the school in recent years. Jake was also growing into a fine young man and his loss will be felt throughout the community. Our thoughts are with Jake's whanau at this terribly sad time.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/.../manawat-jets-basketball...

 Barbara Cameron

We were saddened to learn of the recent passing of Barbara Cameron. Mrs. Cameron made a significant contribution to Palmerston North Boys' High School as a member of the Board of Trustees and as a parent. She served on three school boards between 1989 and 1998. The 1989 Board of Trustees was the first-ever elected group of parent representatives and they set the foundation for the groups with the responsibility for school governance in the following years. Mrs. Cameron's thoughtful and considered contributions, based on her wealth of experience in education, health and a wide range of community groups, were always respected and welcomed. She also helped to provide both a female and Māori perspective to school governance at a time when the composition of the PNBHS community was very different to what it is today. Mrs. Cameron is also remembered fondly, alongside her late husband Jim, for her involvement in the 1988/89 1st XV Rugby tour to the USA, Canada and the UK.

We were privileged to be able to celebrate her award of a QSM (Queen's Service Medal) in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2021, a well-deserved recognition of her wide-ranging service to our community.

Steve Cumberland (1978-82)

Steve “Cumby” Cumberland (1978-82), died suddenly in April in Japan where he was the Head Forwards Coach for the Kobe Steelers.

At school he was the Junior and Senior Heavyweight Boxing Champion. He played for the 8th X1 Cricket “the heavies”, under Robin Doyle and Errol Brookie. He was the Intermediate Shot Put champion and was class captain for two years. Cumby was possibly the best class captain ever. He effectively ran 6Y in 1981 and took no nonsense, often in the absence of the form teacher who was quietly finishing his lunch at College House.

Cumby played 1st XV for two years 1981/82. In an era where the team only lost 3 inter-school games out of 31. Steve was Vice captain in 1982, which included a tour to Taiwan for an international tournament. A quote from coach Ian Colquhoun, “ This fellow worked hard for success. A co-ordinated mover with ball sense. He has to realise “within the laws” means producing winning situations, “outside the law”, endangers those winning situations.”

While successfully finishing a building apprenticeship, Steve went on to represent Manawatu 25 times from 1985-87. Otago 81 times from 1988-93, including a national championship in 1991. He continued his rugby by playing overseas including Ireland for a number of years. After finishing playing he began a very successful coaching career with the Southern Rugby Club, Otago and later the Highlanders before working off and on in Japan for 14 years.

Steve keep contact with many of his contemporaries. Lots of stories has been told about his golfing exploits. He became a very good golfer close to single figures. The backs v forwards confrontations on the fairways became legendary. Steve paired off with Gary “Scum” Kilgour against brother Chris Cumberland and Craig Wicks. Mind you in 2022 the backs looked more like forwards and vice versa.

He will be sadly missed by family, many friends and the rugby community.

Ian “Gus” Newman (1954-59)

Ian sadly succumbed to his battle with cancer on Friday 4th February. Ian or Gus as he was known by his contemporaries was Head Boy and captain of the 1st XV in 1959. He was club captain of Albion and RSM (Regimental Sergeant Major) of the school’s cadet battalion. Ian also had an outstanding record as a middle distance runner. He was one of the first athletes to follow a fitness regime at the YMCA which included the use of weights.

He was a bus boy from Bulls who was one of the first students to purchase a vehicle, a VW van. It was used to “people watch” in Broadway on a Friday night. The Astoria Ball Room also featured prominently in Ian’s social calendar where the boys lined up on one side and the girls on the other while a Glen Miller type band was playing.

After school he commenced an academic career which took him to universities in Wisconsin and Illinois in the USA. Followed by Harvard University where he completed his Post Doctoral Studies in Public Health. An outstanding academic career evolved working in India, Philippines, NZ, Singapore, Thailand and China. Academic posts in the US included Illinois and Tennessee but he always returned to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Ian received countless Honours and Awards for his work both within The States and Internationally. He had many papers published over his career covering such public issues as; safety belt use, tobacco, alcohol, diet, drug use, body image, bullying and depression/suicide.

Ian remained a loyal Old Boy and visited the school on a number of occasions. He attended reunions and even flew from Nebraska to New York on two occasions to meet with the school’s Commerce Group who were touring the USA. He visited the school with his wife Enid and then 15-year-old granddaughter, Hannah. Ian and Enid offered all of their grandchildren a two-week trip to a destination of their choosing. Hannah chose NZ because she had heard so much about it. 

A memorial services was held at 4:00 p.m. United States Central Standard Time, on Saturday, February 12, 2022, at First Plymouth Church, 2000 D Street, Lincoln Nebraska, United States. 

Ian M. Newman, 81, of Lincoln died Friday, February 4, 2022. Born January 12, 1941, in Wellington, New Zealand to Stan and Grace (Wilton) Newman. Ian grew up in Palmerston North, attended Palmerston North Boys High School where he was the head prefect and captain of the rugby team. He left home at age 18 accepting a scholarship to George Williams College in Chicago, now Aurora University. While in Chicago, Ian met Enid Hosein, originally of Trinidad and Tobago, at a church dance. They married in 1964.

Ian earned bachelor and master degrees from George Williams College before moving on to the University of Illinois where he earned his PhD. His post-doctoral studies took place at Harvard School of Public Health. He later joined the faculty at the University of Tennessee working at the Oakridge National Laboratory. Two years later, he joined the faculty at the University of Nebraska, where he taught and conducted research for over 50 years.

His primary areas of focus included adolescent health, health education and public health. He was loved by his graduate students for his caring, mentoring and interest in their backgrounds; many remain friends today. While at Nebraska, he took a 2-year leave to join the World Health Organization and was stationed in New Delhi, India. He served in Thailand, Nepal and Sri Lanka. In 1997, Ian was named the Wesley C. Meierhenry Distinguished Professor by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Ian possessed an unquenchable desire for intellectual and cultural adventure. His personal and professional life took him to more than 83 countries and territories around the world where he always made a point to learn local customs and understand people’s traditions, including a hearty appetite for local cuisine and delicacies.

Ian and Enid were well known for their ballroom and folk dancing. They were members of the UNL Faculty Dance Club and International Folk Dancers.

Family members include his wife of over 55 years, Enid; sons and daughter-in-law, Sean Newman, Brian (Johanna) Newman, Stuart Newman; Grandchildren, Sophia, Ethan and Hannah; Great Grandchildren, Brennan and Everet; and Nieces and Nephews. Ian is preceded in death by his parents and sister Cathrine.

Caleb Wall (1994-98)

Caleb Reid Luc Wall (23 March 1981 - 9 April 2022)

Caleb passed away peacefully at his home in Calgary, Canada after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Caleb attended PNBHS from 1994 to 1998 where he enjoyed the different intellectual challenges which Boys High provided. In particular, he relished his role as Board of Trustees Student Representative for two years, writing “Caleb’s Column” in the Student Newspaper "Off The Record", debating, and participating in the youth parliament.

After PNBHS, Caleb obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Feminist Studies from The University of Canterbury, a Master of Arts (Hons) from Massey University and a PhD (Summa cum Laude) in Social Anthropology from Bonn University, Germany. While studying, Caleb lived and worked in Italy, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Germany. He went on to write a book on corporate social responsibility and was a Senior Partner in ERM, the largest global pure play sustainability consultancy firm. This work took him far and wide, advising companies on how they could improve the environmental and social impacts of their work, including gold mines in Siberia, coal mines in Mongolia, mining in Papua New Guinea, water privatisation in Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia. He assisted recovery in Iraq and worked with communities impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. More latterly, he helped large technology, media and telecommunications companies address sustainability challenges.

He travelled extensively and he loved trekking and mountain climbing in places such as the UK, Norway, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Peru, India, Kenya and the Canadian Rockies. He had a keen interest in the outdoors and loved hunting.

Recently, he curtailed his business travel to spend more time in Calgary with his son, Elijah. He joined Benevity (a charitable donation-management and grant-management platform) to lead their international expansion.

Caleb was a brother to PNBHS old boys, Robert and Jesse, a sister to Larissa (PNGHS) and a friend to many across the globe. Caleb was intelligent and quick witted; but it is his deep love of people and ability to touch people from all walks of life that he will be remembered most for. 

Peter Mitchell (1952-1956)

Peter Mitchell (1952-1956) sadly died in Auckland on Monday. Peter was a long serving and loyal stalwart of the Auckland branch of the Old Boys’ Association. He organised many Old Boys’ functions and always looked after the visitors from Palmerston North. In recent years he has been instrumental in promoting a monthly Old Boys’ gathering at the Mamma Mia Restaurant in Mission Bay. Peter also successfully represented the school in an annual School’s Golf Day in Auckland.

Peter was regarded as an icon in the NZ Grocery Industry and was a two-time recipient of the Food Grocery Council’s lifetime Achiever Award.

Peter was the owner of Review Publishing, where stable of publications included the highly regarded Supermarket News, which has been a go-to magazine (and now digital platform as well) for new products and developments in the industry since his family bought it in 1973. Four of his family members work in the business. The Chief Executive Katherine Rich of Food Grocery Council sent their condolences to Peter’s family. “We have worked closely with Peter’s wife, Tania and daughter Sarah over the years and we are thinking of them at this time”. “The Grocery industry has a penchant for attracting extremely passionate and fascinating characters, and Peter fitted both descriptions”. “He lived and breathed groceries and never left you wondering what he thought, which is how we like it”. “Haere pai, Peter”.

Alan Barker (1942-43)

Alan Barker (1942-43) died in PN in May this year. He left school to be a farmhand and shortly afterward left the land for 8 years at sea in the Navy from 1944 late in World War Two and stayed on during the Korean War. He represented the NZ Navy in rugby. On finishing with the Navy he returned to the land but was convinced by Manawatu rugby player Kevin Nesdale, he would be a better earner wielding a handpiece. Alan went on to be a shearing contractor employing up to 45 staff in 10 gangs shearing 1.5 million sheep each year before Christmas. From there he became a NZ Wool Board shearing instructor for 15 years, worked at Massey University and did shearing instruction in the United States and Britain.

Alan was a tough prop who played 33 games for Manawatu (1958-60) out of the High School Old Boys Club. When playing for Hunterville, Whanganui snapped him up. Alan played for the 2nd XV at school and helped Albion to win a Waldegrave Cup.

He was a stalwart of the Manawatu Golf Club being a member since 1977. In March 2019 at the age of 92 and as the club’s oldest 18-hole member, he got his long awaited hole-in-one on the 16th hole at Manawatu, as a 35 handicapper.

Jack Thorburn (1948-1951)

Jack passed away in Auckland late last year. Jack was a loyal supporter of the Auckland branch of the Old Boys' Association. Jack was a company Executive for NZ Guardian Trust for 43 years, jack was also a qualified Chartered Accountant.