OBITUARY

Hokitika Guardian, 27 July 1932, Page 4

OBITUARY

JOHN JEBOMp -BREEZE. ,• Death claimed a prominerit.' figure in the history of Hokitika, when Mr John Jerome Breeze, the wtll known- .Jbootmaker of KeveH Street, * passed away at Westland Hospital yesterday even- 1 ing. The deceased who came to'. Hokitika as a lad with his parents in '3,865, . v nas' been a resident of the ; town ever since and has beep .thqroughiy identified r ' with the. ups and down of th e place. During bis lifetime spent' in the town, . V Mr Breeze been a very popular figure. In sporting- circles he took . a most active part and. bis: services were \ always freely available for. any. worthy *%/ object. Boxing, football had an ardent supporter, while in vplun. teer circles he . was a well known mem- v ber being sergeant of the Ist 'Westland Rifles for many : years. A member of the Band for a long period, he took an active/ interest therein, while^as -a . ; member of the Hokitika Fire Brigade i he was one of its most active member for over forty years. A ■ keen interest wr.s always taken' in poultry, and he was a stabl 6 supporter of the local . Poultry Society,' while/he was a lover . of flowers and' for • years he had ‘been ■''S' .-a noted judge of—pbtiltry. and flowers, r"' including chrysanthemums, hisservices, • / being availed of n -in different parts' of and, knowledge’of;’-hiß' fancies being- rie> cognised on all sides. ''A’firie swnnniei'j the deceased was-' awarded the Boyal Humane Society’s bronze medal fdr :: laving life on the Hokitika' beach, 'Mf Breeze has been chairman of the Westland Hospital Board for/mariy year*) and it was only ta few months- ago'that. : ' the citizebs recognised over/fifty years \ of service as member and 'Chairman oi West’and Hospital Board, Svith, a .sub- ' v stantial presentation. A member of tl?e Hokitika Boronsh Couno’l ' for . ’many year 3, the ‘Hokitika- "Fire*. Board 'almo t . V since its inception,,arid manyY- ' other bodies,' he rlways found tim e :to, his services for the advancement of the town, while he. had been a prominent member of. the- Kilwinning Lodge .of • Freemasons. There, will be ~ gep&al . regret expressed throughout thfe toti’ji ' 1 arid districtthe news of his paMing. \ . .For a considerable ; t;trie past Mr Breeze i\ had been in indifferent healfh, ahcl; of ; : late lie, h»d a- severe attack of jineu- ' /.;’.vT monia, w : th other complications, andyit ) was known that his condition! .was /very , / 3 er : Ws, the end eoming. peacefui’.'y.yesterday, evening. . “Jack". Breeze wasV ailwrys a peppier, sniilihg persoriage tittd -his * death wjiil be. 'deplored' by/ia/tride •• circle of friends who will extend, , .deep . sympathy to .the widow'.l/..famiiiy: ~.’Al)d \ many relatives.- Orie son, Paddy, laid down his life /in' th e ,/Greut ; ; War*//!?:?oeased was a riative vof . . .Launceston, Tasjnania,77 years of kge,' ; and : . leavei la widow .and family iyi., Jacobs, arid D. t>iedrich,s ‘ of likokitika, Gi'iffenofWaihi, & Jj'lshPft of Johnsoriyille. irid. Beriney / o'f .SoutH Canterbury), 'arid . / six-solisY (VVitliam, Ford .and David of ]ffokltilcij:i;d(>hn /df iOarterton, boo of W«Wi»gtcrn f v> ney of -Wellirigton), - ,' ' " ‘ r