Hundreds form guard of honour for King

Hundreds of people turned out in Wanaka yesterday to pay their respects at Bill King's funeral.

Mr King, a former deputy mayor of the Queenstown Lakes district, died at Dunstan Hospital in Clyde on Tuesday last week after a long battle with cancer.

Almost 500 people attended the memorial service held at St Luke's Presbyterian Church in Tenby St, while 200 people sat outside on the church grounds to listen to an outside broadcast of the service and a further 100 people stood opposite the church on footpaths or sat on car bonnets.

Presbyterian minister Catherine Little officiated at the service and said it was to "celebrate the life of a good man who was well loved."

Rev Little also invited people to form a guard of honour with members of St John Ambulance and the Fire Service to farewell Mr King before a private burial service.

Mr King's wife Loris opened the service, saying her family had been overwhelmed with the amount of support it had received during her husband's illness.

She spoke of Mr King's never-ending dedication to Wanaka and of his ability for promoting the area in its fledgling tourism era.

"He was a great ambassador who could talk for hours. He had a great rapport with tour bus drivers," Mrs King said.

The couple had established the Kingsway Tea Rooms on Helwick St in 1965 and 16 years later opened the town's first wine store – Wanaka Wines.

Mr King stood for the Queenstown Lakes District Council in 1986 and was elected deputy mayor and chairman of the Wanaka Community Board.

During his term the district was visited by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, as well as Princess Anne, who officially opened Mount Aspiring College.

During the service representatives of St John, the Wanaka Fire Service, the Justice of the Peace Association, the Returned Services Association, The NZ Freemasons and the NZ National Party all paid tribute to his energy and volunteer commitment.

Queenstown Lakes Deputy Mayor John Wilson said it had been a "great honour and privilege" to know Mr King, who had also been chairman of the Wanaka Airport Committee and the Guardians of Lake Wanaka. "He has been dedicated to this community."

Mr King was also a justice of the peace and in 1980 became Master of the Wanaka Masonic Lodge.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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