The daughter of former Dunedin mayor Jules Radich has remembered her dad as “cool, compassionate and smart” at a packed funeral in Dunedin this afternoon.<\/p>\n
Mourners gathered at First Church to farewell Mr Radich, 70, who died on Sunday after a heart attack the previous day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Many turned up on motorcycles, a nod to Mr Radich’s love of the machines.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Genevieve Walker-Radich told the service her father was “part of fantastic communities and built lifelong friendships”.<\/p>\n
“He remained interested in new things.\u00a0He was the smartest man I know, a natural teacher. He was a gentleman, and a scholar.”<\/p>\n
She said Mr Radich went into politics because of his love for Dunedin.<\/p>\n
“He was nothing short of special.”<\/p>\n
Dunedin deputy mayor Cherry Lucas described her former colleague as “positive, friendly and intensely passionate about Dunedin”.<\/p>\n
“He only ever told me off once,” she said.<\/p>\n
His lasting legacy would be the new Dunedin hospital.<\/p>\n
“Every day, behind the scenes, he advocated for the hospital that was promised.”<\/p>\n
After the election Mr Radich “put his ego in his back pocket and was looking forward to working with Mayor Sophie Barker and myself and focusing on issues that mattered to him”.<\/p>\n
Mr Radich was the 59th mayor of Dunedin, leading the city from 2022 until the election in October last year.<\/p>\n
He was re-elected as a city councillor, which followed an earlier stint from 2019 to 2022.<\/p>\n
A family death notice said it was “with great sadness that Jules passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family”.<\/p>\n
“Totally adored, much loved and devoted husband of Pamela.\u00a0 Cherished and much loved father of Vincent, and Genevieve.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Beloved eldest child of the late Milan and Lavinia. Beloved brother and brother-in-law of Christina and Whatarangi Murphy-Peehi (Ohakune), Nicholas and An (Perth), and Paul (Ireland), beloved brother-in-law of Lyndon and Christine Walker (Dunedin). Dearly loved uncle of all his nieces and nephews.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Our heartfelt thanks to all the medical team in ICU at Dunedin Hospital for their most wonderful care of Jules.\u00a0 A very special thanks to Richard Benson, Martin Dvoracek and Rosanne Clark.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
In an\u00a0interview last year, Mr Radich told the Otago Daily Times that\u00a0advocacy for the new hospital, contributions towards “influential diplomacy” and working out how water services would be delivered into the future were highlights of his mayoral term.<\/p>\n
Other prominent themes included an unsuccessful push to have groynes reinstated at St Clair Beach and successfully arguing the state highway one-way system through Dunedin should remain.<\/p>\n
Dunedin Mayor Sophie Barker earlier this week said she was deeply saddened by Mr Radich\u2019s death.<\/p>\n
“Our thoughts, deepest love and sympathies are with Jules’ family and friends\u00a0 . . . a respected colleague, leader and friend.”<\/p>\n
Mr Radich was born in Mataura and came to Dunedin to study for a science degree at the University of Otago.<\/p>\n
He worked as a science and physics teacher in Napier before travelling overseas, which included time working as a surveyor in Thailand, Turkey and Egypt, his councillor profile said.<\/p>\n
He returned to Dunedin and started Uptown Motorcycles in 1984, which he ran for 20 years before selling the business.<\/p>\n
He managed the Golden Centre Mall for three years, and remained a director, before working as a business coach.<\/p>\n
A by-election at the Dunedin City Council will be needed to replace him.<\/p>\n
\u00a0– Allied Media<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
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