Mike grew up in Folkestone, in the English county of Kent, and was an only child.
“He was a bit of a tearaway but had a very inquiring mind,” Elly said.
When Mike was 12 years old, during World War II, he found a bunker with his friends that was full of army electrical equipment, and took it to hide in the bushes.
“Mike ended up in front of the judge with his father, and he got a slap on the wrist.”
She said he joined the UK army and served with the United Nations before becoming a consulting electrical engineer, which took him to 13 countries.
He worked for Beca Carter as the head of the CAD department.
“He was at the top of his field, and he was fabulous, absolutely loved it,” Elly said.
Mike came to New Zealand 60 years ago and spent more than two decades working for the Turning Point Trust in Tauranga’s Historic Village. The trust works with people who have mental health or addiction issues.
“He was a caring person, very bright, and so strong,” Elly said.
Mike Maynard sold his paintings to raise funds for the Stroke Foundation in 2019. Photo / George Novak
He worked as the in-house art tutor and gave back by helping those recovering from drug addiction or mental health issues.
“They loved him so much, because he also used to do magic tricks, so their name for him was Mr Magic.”
After suffering a severe stroke in 2018, the long-time art tutor turned his recovery into a creative renaissance.
Maynard began making art again at his Welcome Bay home, producing colourful illustrations and paintings. His left side was immobile, but painting was something he could do with his right hand alone.
Elly said she tried to think of creative ways to get him back into normality and turned one of their bedrooms into an art studio.
“He’d paint for about two hours or so in the morning and then have lunch, sleep, and then paint for another two hours in the afternoon. And he did that for seven and a half years.”
Mike Maynard began painting again after his stroke at his Welcome Bay home, producing colourful illustrations and paintings. Photo / George Novak
The result was a collection of artwork that would later be exhibited to raise funds for the Stroke Foundation, bringing in nearly $2000, Elly said.
“It gave him such a huge boost because he was very introverted when it came to his art.”
She said after all of his artworks sold, he “didn’t say too much”.
“I think he was just proud, but he wasn’t expressive in that regard. I think this [art] is just part of his mind; he has an incredible mind.”
Said said art was “his whole world”.
“That was his way of expressing himself, and I was his biggest critic because I knew what he was capable of and what made him happy.”
Together, they loved fishing, gardening, petanque, a competitive game of cards after dinner, and dancing to the music they “absolutely loved”.
“He never used to relax or give himself a day off. He was always doing something.”
One of Mike Maynard’s works. Photo / George Novak
He was a passionate cook, and when they moved in together, he made her an unforgettable curry.
“Because he’d worked in India, he knew everything about food. So I had a jar of Gregg’s curry powder, which he put in the bin and said, ‘No’ – he had to make it from scratch.”
After his stroke, Elly became his sole carer, but Mike still cooked and would make butter chicken every Tuesday.
“At least for seven and a half years, I was able to give him that stability, that happiness, that independence, because I let him do anything that he wanted within reason.”
She said they made a good team.
“He was my life, I knew what he wanted and kept him safe in our little haven.”
Elly said every couple had ups and downs, but their “artist-poet combination” kept them so strong.
“He was the artist and I was the poet. It’s what made our relationship so special, having an artistic and creative connection.”
Mike Maynard is also survived by his two daughters and four grandchildren.
He will be farewelled on Friday at 2pm in the Pyes Pā Memorial Park Chapel.
Kaitlyn Morrell is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.