"The following eulogies are by Win's family"

Mum was born in Devonport in 1920. The eldest of 3 with a younger sister Barbara who is here with us today, and a young brother Alex, who lives in the USA. They lived in Vauxhall Road, under the Norfolk Pine, until she was 6, when they moved to Dexter Avenue in Mt Eden. It was here that she grew up, going to Greyfriars Presbyterian Church and to Auckland Girls Grammar. She wanted to be a botanist, but missed out on a scholarship to go to Auckland University, so opted to do professional accounting instead. She was the youngest and one of the first women in New Zealand to become a qualified accountant. After graduation she worked for the St John Ambulance Assn at the top of Pitt Street and I can remember stories of her being late for the ferry to Devonport and getting one of the drivers to put the flashing lights on to get her down to Quay street in time to catch the ferry. I have often wondered if they still do that?

Across the road in Macky Ave lived a fine family named Parr. The youngest of the trio there was Jim who along with his sister Sarita and brother Reuben, were good friends of the Bannatynes. We will hear later a story of the rocks at the end of Cheltenham beach, but the story my Dad told (and I’m not sure if it was as a five year old or a fifteen year old), was that Mum’s mother would screech out from from across the road and say "Winnie you’re not to go around the rocks with that Parr boy."

Sarita is here today and offspring of Reuben are here too.

The families kept in touch even though the Bannatynes moved to Dexter Avenue and the Parrs to Orakau Ave in Epsom. In 1932 when Dad was 16 the Parrs moved to Te Awamutu . Contact information is a little bit hazy at this stage from the sister on either side (and you would think they would know) At the beginning of the war Dad did some training in Auckland and used to head around to th e Bannatynes for a meal and some different company. Who knows now, except that Granny told Sandie just a few weeks ago that it came to a decision time at a dance between this accountant guy and Dad in his Air Force uniform. So here we are.

Married just before the end of the war with Dad stationed at Rukuhia Aerodrome. It seems it was a difficult time about then, living with the Parr family, with a farm which still needed a lot of breaking in, and then a baby on the way. Dad,s Dad (my Grand dad, died in October 1944, just a few weeks before I was born.Some time after that, Reuben shifted to Invercargill, Sarita and Gran shifted to Sloane Street,Te Awamutu and Mum and Dad started work on the farm in earnest.

Although Mum never actually milked cows, she opted to be the support on the farm and do the accounts rather than follow her chosen career. In 1946 Alex made his appearance and Rob in 5 years later in 1951.

Farm and kids at school and Ham radio and farm and Christmas holidays at Kawhia in a tent and farm and boating and fishing and the farm are my memories of those years. Then young Reuben dared to disrupt the mayhem another 5 years later in 1956. Mealtimes in the kitchen at the farm are a specific memory, 2with Roast dinners every night. What about Sid Cummins arriving one afternoon with an electric motor with an egg beater attached so that Mum could make her famous 6 duck egg sponges even faster.

Always interested in furthering education and life experiences, Mum arrived home from an auction one day with a P Class yacht on the trailer. Dad seemed as surprised as we were. But we all learnt to sail on Lake Ngaroto.

As I left home and went to Auckland to University, I got my Ham licence. Mum was not to be outdone by a son and got hers the following September. Biney Owen will talk more about that side of mums life shortly but I just want to comment that Mum got great pride from the fact that 3 of her sons had their Ham licences, and in the extended family, 12 of us did.

For health reasons, Dad had to give up heavy manual work on the farm and they got sharemilkers and bought a radio shop in Te Awamutu. So now Mum had a real job to do, running the front of the shop and doing the accounts for that, as well as the farm accounts. Sharemilkers came and went, including Rob until eventually they decided to go back to running dry stock. By then Reuben was old enough to be making his mark and this involved ploughing up the front padocks of the farm and creating a market garden. And guess what? Another accounting job for Mum. I have never known just how many clubs and societies Mum either did the accounting for, or did annual audits for. One of them was certainly the Te Awamutu Radio Club.

Various young ladies entered the lives of the sons and hence Mum and Dad. And they all called her Mum. Grandchildren seemed to be a natural progression and Granny came into being and she took them all into her life and made a friend of each of them, whether they were her natural grandchildren or friends and neighbours children, or just strays and waifs she met along the way.

In 198? They sold West End Radio and it was in this period of their lives with no day responsibilities that they put the boat on the back of the LandRover and did several trips around various parts of NZ. launching the boat at a ramp somewhere and heading off on their own for a few days, sleeping in the boat and just exploring the land and the bush they both loved so much.

They eventually sold the farm in 1989 and moved to Ohaupo. This was a great year for them as they were completely free. They got the new house in order aerials erected and got the yacht right up to scratch ready for their retirement. Unfortunately, Dad died as they were about to head off on their retirement cruise at the end of 1990.

Mum rallied from this , although it was a blow to their planned "Lazy days of summer."

She spent a lot of time with nephews Mathew and David at Ohaupo, getting the garden the way she wanted it and then maintaining it. Every couple of years he would get the travel bug again, just like her father before her, and she would be off to England and back to Scotland to the Isle of Arran, where the Bannatynes still live. Or to the States to visit her Brother Alex.

Often these ventures were planned around Ham Radio conventions, and she was known for getting on a train in one part of the States and train hopping from one ham to the next. It was only last July that she spent two weeks with Alex in Portland, Oregon. Her other great interest during this time was YFU Youth for Understanding.

Mum had always been interested in Genealogy, but with more time and the gift of a computer program to record it, she started to do some serious research into the family history, on both the Parr and the Bannatyne sides. We will always be greatful for what she discovered and both my cousin Peter and brother Alex and his daughter Debbie are making sure this will continue.

In ham radio parlance, 88’s means love and kisses. So Mum it’s 88’s from us all here today as your spirit continues your journey with Dad. God bless you for all the things you have done for so many people.

John Parr

 

My Mum

Forthright

Principled

Independent

Practical

No frills

Very often as a youngster I would go downstairs in the old farmhouse at 6 am to find Mum in her dressing gown working at her accounting books. She declared this was the only time she could get on her own to concentrate. Often she would still be in her dressing gown at 9am after cooking breakfast for a hungry family, farmhands and Dad and then getting us boys off to school. The dressing gown habit stayed with her all her life as many of you who visited mum by surprise in the morning will know. Even in the earlier stages at hospital she would not get up and dress first thing - much to the disapproval of the nursing staff.

Forthright

rarely did mum give direct praise to her family - but you knew she was proud of you when people you met told you all about yourself. They had been talking to mum.

Practical and no frills

mum’s handbag - not a place you would go for face powder or lipstick. But if you needed sidecutters, pliers or a screwdriver Mum was the first person to ask. Before her last trip she asked me if people thought her silly to carry these things with her around the world. Of course I said - That is intil they need to borrow them to fix something!!

But mum had a softer side that did not really have a chance as she spent most of her life running the lives of men and her boys.

My Aunty Sarita tells the story of a photograph, now yellow with age with Mum holding a doll. Sarita remembers little Winnies huge excitement when the parcel arrived from relatives in scotland. She was so proud of that doll ! which has pride of place in the small collection of porcelain dolls she has added to, made clothes for, and put on display over the years.

Independent

shortly after Mum bought her current racey little red car she managed to demolish 2 sections of our wooden fence when her foot slipped off the brake and on to the accelerator. For several visits after that I would back it around for her. However it wasn’t long before she phoned me one night -she had called in and we weren’t home -so she had backed the car around herself and did so every time after that!

Mum’s advice and care will be missed by many - last night a bouquet of flowers arrived from the Invercargill branch of the Parr family. I was unsure whether I should bring them into the church today or leave them at home -so I said to Janette " I shall just phone mum and ask her’

Rob Parr

Good morning to everyone gathered to celebrate the life of Win Parr.

I am Maree Parr
As a little girl I knew of Win as my Aunty Win who lived at 'the farm'in Te Awamutu in the North Island. We lived in Invercargill. I heard all about her sons, my big boy cousins; Johnny, Al, Robbie and Hooky.

Aunty Win was married to Uncle Jim, my father's brother. They all lived across the paddock from Aunty Sarita and our Gran. In the 1960s', I got to fly north to visit them. I was 11years old and I will hold that visit always in my mind when I think of Win. She was busy, active and involved in all that was going on at the shop, on the farm and in the community but she still found the time to make me feel welcome and part of the family.

A generation earlier, in the 1920's, my father, Reuben Parr was 10 years old, his sister Sarita 11 and Jim Parr 8 years old. The Parr family lived opposite the Bannatyne family in Devonport in their earlier years.

My father Reuben remembers Winnie as a little 4 year old girl. It was not surprising that some years later, Jim would again meet up with Win Bannatyne and marry her.

Sarita tells the story of a photograph, yellowing now with age, of little Winnie holding a baby doll. Sarita remembers the excitement ofthe parcel arriving all the way from Scotland sent by relatives and Winnie opening the parcel and showing the doll off with such pride.

Win kept in touch with us Southern Parrs for birthdays and Christmases, writing to us about her trips away. She travelled to Southland for important functions many times during the years. We all remember her disappointment when bad weather thwarted Jim & Win's attempt to walk the Milford Track. Not to be deterred they were back in Southland the year after to try again! Win lived her adventurous and resourceful life with purpose.

Her nieces & nephews knew there was always an open house at the farm and later at Ohaupo. The conversation at the dinner table was never dull.Win kept up to date with current affairs and was a practical woman who gained our respect for her straightforward approach to life.

ZL1TVY(Me,Maree), ZL1BBO (Tom, my husband) and Jim,(my brother) enjoyed frequent radio contact with Win & Jim over the years and were always encouraged to pick up the handheld whenever we could. We were always made to feel like we belonged to her family, like her own children. She showed an interest in our lives and our children's lives.

We will remember Win for her vast knowledge on many topics and her passion for an active and full life.
Thank you

Reuben, Irene, Maree, Tom, Alice & Emily,Invercargill

 

Subject: Some thoughts about my sister Win 

When we were young, I was very close to Win, and our close relationship always remained throughout our lives.

When I was a child and teenager, Win was the role-model for me -- as she was for all who later followed her. Through her remarkable academic achievements before the age of 21 -- as a Public Accountant, Company Secretary, and a gold-medallist shorthand-typist -- she set the family standards which most of us, for three generations, have followed to this day. And Win achieved all this as she worked a fulltime job, mostly for the St. John Ambulance association.

But I have always equally admired Win for her rock-solid steadfastness of character. Win was not swayed by passing whims and fancies. Rather, she remained loyal and supportive to her wider family and friends throughout her long, active and fruitful life.

One day when I was very little, Win, Jim and Reuben took me on an Adventure around the rocks of North Head -- from Cheltenham Beach. We came to a deep, narrow gap in the rocks with water swirling far below, a gap which the three older children easily stepped over. I was fearful, and held back, but Win encouraged me to jump across that "chasm" all by myself, so, taking her at her word, I took that giant leap of faith successfully. That lesson stayed with me all my life, and so, because of Win, I have leapt many metaphorical chasms since.

Let me close on a very personal note by saying I have also spent a Lifetime of intensive academic study in psychology, philosophy, science and comparative religion, and I KNOW we, as Mind-Beings, are both Indestructible and eternal. And I also know that Win has now begun yet another stage of her on-going, never-ending Life -- and therefore each of us can send her Love right now, and wish her Godspeed on her continuing journey Home.

Alex Bannatyne

Firstly we think of Win as the strong central core of her family, granting freedom, giving love and available for support where needed.

We had great respect for her intellectual abilities, her professional achievements and her awareness of what was happening in the world.

Win had a strength of character which allowed her to show acceptance and encouragement to her family and the circle of friends and young people she built up around the world.

We remember Win as someone who did things, travelled the world, found opportunities and went for them, doing them well, whether it was fishing or attending West End Shows.

Our lives have been enriched through her life lived with us. For Win we give thanks.