Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon says Council is deeply saddened by news of the passing of Neill Price.
Neill was a community stalwart and a Kaiapoi-boy through-and-through who spent a lifetime giving back to the community
Many will have known Neill through his time with the Fire Service, Kaiapoi Borough and Waimakariri councils, being the Kaiapoi and Canterbury District RSA President, as well as having received a Queen’s Service Medal (QSM) for services to the community. Along with this Neill also received a Queens Fire Service Medal (QFSM) for his many years of commitment and service to the Fire Brigade.
Neill was heavily involved in commercialising Kaiapoi Electricity, was chairman of works during the redevelopment of the Rangiora Service Centre, a board member and chairman of Te Kohaka O Tuhaitara Trust, and led the redevelopment of the Rangiora Airfield.
More recently, Neill has played a pivotal role revitalising the Kaiapoi RSA. He was elected president in 2012 and set to putting in place a team and structure that would ensure the organisation would flourish. Under his leadership over the past decade the team have worked tirelessly to increase membership and promote the welfare of veterans. They have also drawn on local relationships, such as the one with Ngai Tuahuriri to ensure that Māori military heritage remains a strong aspect of the Kaiapoi RSA.
Neill was recently awarded a Royal New Zealand RSA Merit Badge for his service to the RSA – a very high honour and justified for his many years of service. Neill was also a long serving Justice of the Peace as well as a long serving member of the Kaiapoi Promotions Association.
Last year for a lifetime of community service Neill was awarded the Mayor’s Award at the Community Service Awards for this commitment to community, as well as much more.
One thing that stood out during our interview with Neill for the award is that he credited a lot of his achievements to teamwork and being enabled by those around him. But the best team he said he had been able to put together, and who he credits his success with, is his family - his wife Judith, two sons and daughter.
I considered Neill a good friend and always enjoyed my regular coffee catch ups and will very much miss him.
Waimakariri is a better place for Neill’s involvement. He made a real difference, and I have extended the Councils condolences to the Price family
The flag on Council buildings will be lowered to half-mast on the day of Neill’s memorial service as a mark of respect for him.
- Mayor Dan Gordon