OBITUARY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 March 1941, Page 6

OBITUARY

■+ — . ; MR. F. MAWHINNEY. The death last week of Mi - . F. Mawhinney at his residence in Constable .Street, Wellington South, represented a severe loss to the friendly society movement in New Zealand. Mr. Mawhinney was born in Upper Hutt in. 1878 and was educated at the Masterton District High School. He was -a. prominent figure in the Labour movement. In 1915 he was elected president of the Wellington Bakers' and Pastrycooks’ Union and he later became the secretary of that body. He was also a vice-president of the New Zealand organisation. For the past 40 years Mr. Mawhinney had been a prominent member of the United Ancient Order of Druids. He established Mungaroa Lodge, Upper Hutt,'and subsequently was secretary for over 24 years of Pacific Lodge. Wellington. He was also elected district, president of the No. 2 district and represented his lodge as a delegate to the biennial Grand Lodge conferences. In 1930 Mr Mawhinney was elected Grand Guardian of the Order. Ho resigned from this position on his appointment as Grand Treasurer. He was also chairman of the Grand Lodge benevolent and unemployment relief committees. He is survived by his wife, two sons and one daughter, Messrs. H. and C. Mawhinney, Wellington, and Mrs. D. Curtice, Masterton. Mrs. C. H. Grayland. Hastings, and Messrs. S. Mawhinney, Takapuna, and W. and I. Mawhinney, Hawke's Bay. are his surviving sister and brothers. The funeral took place at tiie Karorl Cemetery on Saturday morning, the Rev. A. W. Armstrong officiating. A service in Morris's Chapel, Kent Terrace. was held beforehand, at. which the Prime Minister. Mr. Fraser, tiie Minister of Finance. Mr. Nash. Mr. Lee Martin, M.P.. -and a large number of friends of Mr. Mawhinney attended. In addition to the usual funeral service a Druidic oration was read by Mr. IT. Abel. P.D.P.