Viewpoint – A man of the people

A man of the people is, I think, an overused and overworked phrase. But sometimes – just sometimes– it is an accurate summation of a man’s life and values.

It certainly applied to my dad, Ron McCallum, who passed away on August 21, aged 91.

Ron was a man of the people. He loved people, particularly fellow farmers, and would do almost anything for them.

He was first and foremost a farmer, along with his wife of 61 years, my mother, Pam, he farmed in Maungaturoto. However, his reach into the community extended far beyond that.

He was an emphatic and assiduous fundraiser for the Maungaturoto Bowling Club. He organised many of their tournaments over the years, cajoling many class players to come to the club’s tournaments and giving the club a reputation for exceptional hospitality. Ron’s dedication to the club was shared by all our family, who collectively sponsored those tournaments for an astonishing 34 years.

Due to that work, Ron McCallum was widely known throughout the North, particularly in Maungaturoto and Mangawhai.

For me, however, my most compelling memory of him, apart from being a loving father and grandfather who cared deeply for his family, was as a visionary.

He had a vision for this country and, through his work in politics, the means and mechanisms to help achieve it. When Sir Lockwood Smith became the National Party candidate for Kaipara in 1983, Dad took over as electorate chair – a role he held until 1996. Then he did the same for the Whangārei seat, then held by John Banks.

As Dad would have said, I think, he was adept at putting the right people, in the right place, at the right time, for the right reasons.

He was the reason I became interested in politics from a (very) young age. He fostered that interest and showed me, time and time again, that having the right people in the right places for the right reasons could, should and would benefit the community.

Ron McCallum was my mentor, my inspiration and my father. I shall miss him deeply.

Rest in peace, Dad.