\u201cI\u2019m just a Te Puke boy who over the years has been involved in a lot around town,\u201d he said. \u201cMany people know me as the town crier, but I\u2019ve also held key roles in the kiwifruit industry and town promotions and been part of Te Puke Repertory for over 65 years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Born in Te Puke in 1948, Jones grew up surrounded by theatre. His parents were founding members of the Te Puke Repertory Society in 1952.<\/p>\n
\u201cApparently I was there when it all started \u2013 it began in our home,\u201d he said with a grin.<\/p>\n
Over the decades, Jones, now the society\u2019s patron, has taken on every role imaginable \u2013 from romantic leads to a lifeless corpse.<\/p>\n
In June 2025, Jones stepped back into the director\u2019s chair for his 11th major production, Call Girls, a comedy by New Zealand playwright James Carrick.<\/p>\n
\u2018Dragged\u2019 into theatre <\/p>\n
Jones\u2019 theatre journey began when he returned to Te Puke at age 20 and was \u201cdragged into\u201d a production by his parents\u2019 friends. \u201cInitially to do sound effects \u2013 and then suddenly I was on stage!\u201d<\/p>\n
Since then, he\u2019s directed 10 major productions, written original pieces for short play festivals, and created a local revue titled The First and Final Te Puke Review, a sellout hit despite what he calls \u201ca total shambles\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was about Te Puke \u2013 that was the point,\u201d he laughs. \u201cIt had all the local characters in it. People loved it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beyond the stage, Jones served as a Western Bay of Plenty District councillor for the Te Puke Ward from 1998 until his retirement in 2010. \u201cI\u2019ve always been a strong supporter of Te Puke and was grateful for the support I received.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jones was also known for his three-decade run as Te Puke\u2019s town crier, a role he began in the mid-1990s while serving as deputy of the Te Puke Promotion Society.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe needed someone to lead the Christmas parade, and I thought, \u2018Why not a town crier to tell people what\u2019s going on \u2013 and how to behave?\u2019 So that\u2019s how it started.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2021, Mike was recognised as Te Puke Citizen of the Year, acknowledging a lifetime of giving back to the town he loved.<\/p>\n
He retired from the town crier role in 2024 for health reasons.<\/p>\n
This week, many tributes have flowed from the Te Puke community for Jones.<\/p>\n
True heartbeat<\/p>\n
In a memoriam email to members, Te Puke Repertory Society said their patron and life member was \u201cthe true heartbeat of our theatre family, dedicating an extraordinary 65 years of service and passion to our community\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether he was directing, performing or guiding our vision as patron, dedicating countless hours behind the scenes, or cheering loudest from the front row, his love for the arts was boundless. His unwavering lifelong support shaped who we are today, and his loss leaves a profound void in our theatre and our hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/WKVWWFAL6ZFWPK57QZDBCAR3HI.jpg\")
\nThe late Michael Jones photographed inside at Litt Park Theatre, Te Puke, in June 2025. Photo \/ David Hall<\/p>\n
Jones\u2019 friend Lynne Avery wrote on Facebook, \u201cA grand pillar of our wonderful theatre has fallen\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis presence and input will be sorely missed. Many a wise word was shared and treasured,\u201d Avery said.<\/p>\n
Former Town Crier <\/p>\n
Epic Te Puke\u2019s tribute included a photo of Jones dressed as the town crier.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor more than 30 years, Mike was the familiar face, booming voice and ringing bell of Te Puke\u2019s Town Crier. For generations of families, his presence at the Te Puke Christmas Float Parade was part of the magic of Christmas, bringing smiles, laughter and excitement to children and adults alike,\u201d a spokesperson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Mike\u2019s contribution to Te Puke went far beyond his role as Town Crier. A true pillar of our community, Mike dedicated countless hours to making Te Puke a better place.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom his remarkable 65-plus years of involvement with Te Puke Repertory Society to his service in local government, community organisations and town initiatives, Mike\u2019s passion for his hometown was unwavering.\u201d<\/p>\n
The spokesperson said Mike had said he\u2019d play just a small part in trying to make Te Puke a better place.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo us, and to so many others, that part was anything but small.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Former Te Puke town crier and icon of the wider community Michael Jones died on October 8, aged…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":632136,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[156,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-632135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-entertainment","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632135","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=632135"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632135\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/632136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=632135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=632135"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=632135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}