Obituaries Both brothers attended Wellington College. As Trevor recently said, Colin and he weren't just brothers, they were also the best of friends.
Colin leaves behind his wife Faith. He had four children and four step children [from three marriages], four of whom are College alumni.
Colin went on to Victoria University of Wellington. He graduated with LL.B. and was admitted to the bar in 1962. He was one of the first legal graduates to establish his own practice, rather than join a large firm – his early clients included fellow Old Boy, Sir Ron Brierley and Sir Robert Jones. Colin was also an inaugural director with Brierley Investments Limited when Sir Ron established his company.
ALLAN BRUCE Wellington College: 1944-1947
As Colin’s practice expanded, the company became Beyer Christie and Co and in due course, merged with Simpson Grierson. His specialities were corporate law and mining law and with his wise counsel and sage advice, he was fondly known as the patriarch of the company. Colin also had considerable governance experience. He was made a Distinguished Fellow of the Institute of Directors in 2006. He was Chairman of the Accident Compensation Corporation, Government Property Services Ltd., Capital Properties New Zealand Ltd, Tower Ltd and Summit Resources Ltd, and a director of Capital Power Ltd and TrustPower Ltd. He was also a ministerial appointee on the Wellington Area Health Board and the Wellington Polytechnic Board. Colin was also Chairman of the Tower Corporation from 1990 until his resignation in 2003. He was appointed to the Securities Commission in February 2001 for a four-year term. In early 2005, he was reappointed for a second fiveyear term by the then Commerce Minister, Pete Hodgson and retired in 2010. In the 1970s, while living in Camborne, Colin spent some time on the Porirua City Council first as an independent and later as a Labour Party representative. He was also the Campaign Manager for Margaret Shields when she ran for the Kapiti electorate in the early 1980s. During his time as a Porirua City Councillor, he was widely respected for his sound judgement and a broad knowledge and understanding of the complex range of issues the City was dealing with and was a champion of those less fortunate. He was the Honorary ConsulGeneral of Finland from 1993 and by 2006, the Dean of the Consular Corps in Wellington.
F
ormer Chief Fire Officer [South Auckland] Allan Bruce and his wife Anne passed away following a road accident at Palmview on Queensland's Sunshine Coast in March 2015. Allan and Anne lived in retirement at Noosa on the Sunshine Coast. Alan joined the Wellington Fire Brigade, New Zealand, in 1947, before joining the London Fire Brigade in 1954. In 1957 he returned to New Zealand to take up the role of Senior Instructor at the National Fire Training School. He then shifted to Auckland, rising to become Auckland Region Fire Force Commander in 1977. In 1982 he was appointed Chief Executive Officer/Chief Fire Officer of South Australia's Metropolitan Fire Services until retiring from active service in 1989. His 2009 book Into The Line of Fire is regarded as the textbook of New Zealand Fire Brigades history between the tumultuous years of 1947 to 2009. Alan was also one of NZs first global sporting exports - as a pioneering basketballer. He was a founding member and Captain of the international squad formed in the 1950s, [now known as the Tall Blacks]. He played from 1949-1953 and captained the team in 1957 and 1958; retiring in 1959. Allan also played for the English Basketball team in 1954 - 1956. He played 16 internationals which included the 1955 European Championships in Budapest, Hungary and was the Captain in 1956. Allan spent several weeks in New Zealand last year visiting old basketball friends as part of his research for a book he was writing about the early years of the 'Tall Blacks'. He was a much respected man in the basketball and fire service community and will be dearly missed. GEOFFREY COLDHAM Wellington College: 1978-1982
G
eoff Coldham was born in Western Samoa, the youngest child of Richard and Mary Coldham. Geoff
attended Ngaio Primary School, Raroa Intermediate and Wellington College where he was Deputy Head Prefect in his final year. He enjoyed school and particularly sport which included Athletics, Badminton and Golf but also saw his selection into the College Hockey 1st XI as a 3rd former and the Cricket 1st XI. He later represented Auckland and played Hockey for the NZ University Team in Australia. His school years at Wellington College set the foundation for a successful and rewarding medical career. Geoff achieved excellence as an all-rounder in his academic and sporting pursuits and his name can be seen on the Honours Board at the College. Geoff was always keen to recognise the College for giving him a great start in life and thus contributed to the College’s Annual Giving programme. After leaving Wellington College, Geoff commenced a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology at the University of Auckland before being accepted into Auckland Medical School. Geoff completed his house surgeon years in Hamilton and Auckland before being accepted into the orthopaedic training scheme in 1993. Spinal surgery was Geoff’s passion and he was well suited to this. Along with his enthusiasm, organisational skills, attention to detail, and sharp intellect, combined with the coordination and great hands one would expect from a skilled sportsman meant he was truly the complete surgeon. He spent the last 25 years at Middlemore Hospital, 15 of those as a very dedicated surgeon, developing highly specialised skills in spinal surgery. Geoff was a leader not just by example but also by being very inclusive, engendering great loyalty and becoming a vital part of everyone’s life. He was a keen member of the NZ Orthopaedic Association Education Committee and was heavily involved in the selection and nurturing of younger surgical talent. Geoff was a foundation member of the NZ Spine Society, filling the roles of Secretary and President. He is recognised internationally as a skilled and experienced surgeon in complex spinal surgery and has bridged the world’s geographical distances, successfully bringing the international spinal community closer. He was responsible for creating the inaugural joint meeting of the NZ, Australian and Canadian spine societies. Geoff achieved much in a life that was too short. He will be remembered for his practical,
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enthusiastic, empathetic and committed approach on so many fronts. Geoff is survived by his wife Diana and children Hunter and Madison. He touched the lives of so many and will be fondly remembered by all. Scott Arrell (1978-1982) PETER CONWAY Wellington College: 1970-1971
P
eter Conway, who died in June after a 14-month battle with a serious depressive illness, said he was soft on people, hard on issues and that is how he led his life. During a lifetime devoted to workers' rights, the Labour movement and such organisations as Young Christian Students, Youthline, Beneficiaries Union, Nicaragua Must Survive, Oxfam and UnionAid, he was at the coalface of many major battles. He protested against the Vietnam War and the 1981 Springbok tour. He was a member of the Clothing Workers Union, the Distribution Workers Federation (later the Northern Distribution Union) and, from 1999, the Council of Trade Unions (CTU). Unlike some unionists, he remained on relatively good terms with those he was negotiating with. His calm, common sense logic and gentle manner, plus his intellectual ability (he gained an MA in Economics in 1999), made him a formidable opponent. Peter had three years at Christchurch Boys' High School, and then attended Wellington College, where he was a Prefect. Soon after leaving College, he met Liz Riddiford, daughter of Dan Riddiford, a Cabinet Minister in the Holyoake National Government. It was an interesting mix, the left-wing young man with strong convictions (wearing an Amnesty bracelet engraved with 'Free all Viet Cong prisoners') and the conservative Catholic family. Peter was an unusual mixture. He had a lifelong love of music, being an accomplished guitarist, but with a special affinity for the mandolin. He belonged to several bands at different times, including traditional folk group Jade, Red Gumboot and union band Not The Day Job. In his earlier days, Peter's bands played at prisons, on demonstrations The Lampstand | 2015