Sir Wira Gardiner Obituary, Burial, Funeral, Memorial Service

Sir Wira Gardiner Obituary, Burial, Funeral, Memorial Service, and all the funeral arrangement of the New Zealand soldier, public servant, and writer.

The New Zealand soldier, public servant, and writer passed away at his home in Gisborne on March 17, 2022, at the age of 78.

Sir Harawira “Wira” Tiri Gardiner KNZM was Māori, of Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Pikiao, Whakatōhea and Te Whānau-ā-Apanui descent.

Gardiner was born on the 4th of September 1943, in Whakatane. He was raised under whangai, a Maori tradition of adoption open to all. He attended secondary school in Whakatane as well as his tertiary training in The University of Canterbury (BA) as well as the King’s College London (MA War Studies).

Gardiner married to a former MP, Hekia Parata. They had two kids together and Gardiner had three more youngsters from an earlier union with the former member of parliament Pauline Gardiner, including the film producer Ainsley Gardiner.

For the past twenty years, Gardiner was a member of the New Zealand Army as a professional soldier. He was active during the war in South Vietnam. He retired from the army in 1983 at the rank of lieutenant colonel, at the time, he held the highest-ranking Maori officer.

Sir Wira Gardiner Obituary, Burial, Funeral, Memorial Service

As per his request, there will not be a funeral at the marae, because he was concerned about the potential of any gathering in increasing COVID-19, and putting tension on the public health system.

Source: Kingaziz.com