The wonderful husband, and best mate, of our Mayor Lianne Dalziel, died of cancer on Friday. Rob died peacefully in his sleep after having attentively said goodbye to all of those close to him.
Rob was a working-class boy who went from school to work and at 17 started with the NZ Railways. He regaled many of us over the years with tales of antics he was involved with as a train driver.
When the Railways were Corporatized in the mid 1980’s he took redundancy and went to University and studied law.
Rob remained right up to his death actively working with community agencies, especially the Aranui Community Trust and the Salisbury Street Foundation. He never forgot where he came from and retained his commitment to those who were less fortunate in our City.
Rob and Lianne married in 2000 and he has been an amazing husband, and foil, for Lianne ever since. Any of us who knew them well will have heard Lianne hollering “Robeeeeee” at the top of her voice as he supplied her with yet another contrary opinion, whether she had asked for it or not. His opinions were seldom PC and provided Lianne with an opinion those who worked with her seldom would.
Rob’s funeral is next Saturday and our thoughts are with Lianne and their extended whanau.
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