Rest in loving peace Deirdre Roelants

My darling Deirdre Roelants passed away in Auckland Hospital at 10.10pm on Thursday
4 February, after suffering a number of health issues.

She was a long-term contributor in Ponsonby News and a bit of a mum to me. On the cover of our October 2014 issue, making our 25th anniversary, Deirdre appeared in the front row as she should be. Wearing her red and white Harry Potter scarf, very few of us knew Deirdre's secret. She had just turned 80 when this photo was taken by Michael McClintock! She never looked or acted her age. Deirdre wanted to be forever young.

Those tearful conversations we shared when her computer was kaput. I would step in and buy her a new one, without hesitation. We had Martin's hire-purchase scheme - Deirdre would write an article, without payment from me. I simply deducted a sum each month
that worked for her and I kept getting great copy for Ponsonby News.

She wrote about the history of local streets, landmark buildings and other people-related stories. Everall Deans who works for the Ponsonby Business Association produced
a video, “Memories of Auckland Past” featuring Deirdre, which screened at last year’s Auckland Heritage Festival.

At her home on Franklin Road many of Deirdre Roelants' friends, family - movers and shakers - gathered on a Sunday last month for her final send off. It was a perfect afternoon - with loads of laughs and a few tears.

Her great friend and colleague Catherine Saunders and Barbara Harvey spoke beautifully about Deirdre. Many others talked about her long life, which included the thought-provoking documentary which tracked her severely disabled son Miles Roelants from his 21st birthday through a year that culminates in him meeting his hero, actor Michael J Fox, in Los Angeles. Her son Miles was born with spina bifida and his own interviews with his parents and siblings candidly confront the challenges faced by families with a disabled child.

Thank you to everyone involved in the send off and to Helen Kendrick for the photo. We also wish to acknowledge many people who gave generously to make her wake special, especially Soho Wine Co with their wonderful contribution, and Tart Bakery for all the lovely vegan sausage rolls, the delicious sandwiches and fruit cake.

I met so many new people who all had funny stories to tell about our wonderful and dearly departed friend. Deirdre was very proud of her surviving daughter Helene and her grandson Nico.

We will all miss darling Deirdre - she wanted to do the history of Ponsonby Road as her final work in our pages, but sadly it wasn’t to be. (MARTIN LEACH)

R.I.P Deirdre, 25 April 1934 - 4 February 2018.