Greetings Everyone,
Welcome to Rita and Norris's website
Here we are in the lovely village of Havelock North. We arrived in NZ in January 1975 and lived in Palmerston North until May 1976 when we moved to Hawkes Bay. We came from St. Helens in Lancashire. We were born two days apart and one mile apart in December 1937. I left Cowley Boys school at 15 at the end of year 11 to become a carpenter and joiner for my grandfathers building company. The company had been partly owned with my father who had died after the war in 1948. I went to polytechnic in evenings for 7 years and gained a Batchelor Technology in Building construction. By 22 I was designing housing estates for the company and running the business of 35 men. When Rita & I married in 1962 I designed and built with the company our first house at 69 Marina Avenue opposite Sutton Park. Diane was born there in 1964 and David in 1965.
Rita has always been the love of my life. She was the most confident, talented and kind girl I had ever known. Rita went to Cowley school were she was a prefect and house captain. She was full of the joy of life and was very adventurous. Rita was always a very talented teacher and taught at Knowsley Road and Robins Lane Primary schools. I left the building industry in 1964 after a family dispute, Rita gave me immense support when I went to college and university where I gained degrees in Education, Maths Physics Geology and Geophysics. I too then became a teacher and Lecturer in Physics, at schools and also trained teachers at Padgate Teachers College which was overseen by Manchester Univerity. When we arrived in NZ Diane was 10 and David was 9 and they went to Havelock North High School. Diane was Dux at Havelock North H.S. and then studied medicine at Auckland Medical school and also became Dux of her year winning all the major prizes . Diane is now Professor, Head of Pathology, at Otago medical School campus in Wellington. Diane lives in Island Bay Wellington. Diane is married to Andrew Sangster who is an Optometrist on the Terrace in Wellington. David was a talented gymnast and is married to Karen. He studied engineering at Auckland University and became a Doctor of Engineering. His wife Karen has a degree in Civil engineering and is a excellent seamstress. David worked for NASA in Sunnyvale California for several years and then on returning to NZ he created his own business making computer boards for fishing vessels. David is now building specialised computers for automation systems in the Fruit industry in Hastings Hawkes Bay and in the Kiwi fruit industry in Te Puke. David also lives in Havelock North near me and is a brilliant radio control flyer, sort after for his aerobatic displays.
Rita and I taught in Schools in Hastings and Havelock North and Norris was H.O.D Science teaching Physics at Hastings Girls High and then Deputy Principal for 16 years with the school (H.G.H.S) naming the Science Block after him. As I left North & South magazine named Hastings Girls High as the top State School in New Zealand. I was also seconded by Massey University to train new Science teachers for Hawkes Bay schools. Rita taught English and econmics in several schools in Hastings and Havelock North and later was always first choice with schools as a supply teacher.
We both retired in 2000 but then had an active life walking, travelling, gardening, Cinema visits and joined Probus. I learned all about computing and taught for the U3A and SeniorNet from 2002. From 2007 to 2011 I was President of U3A and again in 2023 and 2024.
Sadly, Rita passed away on 11th May 2018. Dearly loved by everyone, Rita's family and friends and colleagues donated money to provide yearly scholarships to two students from Hastings Girls High School who will be undertaking Teacher Training. I wish to thank everyone for their kindness and love. Shona & Amanda at H.G.H.S. will nominate these students
I took Rita's ashes to the family grave in St. Helens where we were married in 1962 and again travelled there last in 2019 to visit my sister Iris. Lifelong friends, Rita & I were born in Sutton St. Helens, Lancashire two days apart and one mile apart in December 1937 - she was and will always be the love of my life.
An early hobby of mine was to cut and polish semi precious stones. Rita used to make jewellery with the stones and we had parties like Tupperware and sell the jewellery. I always had a great interest in photograpgy at an early age with my box Brownie and built my own dark room to develop my films. Ihave had many photos published and still make slide shows & videos. Today at 86 I continue to fly & build radio control aeroplanes with my son David and also continue live in our "forever house" which I designed in 2000. I still teach Geology, Computing and Digital Photography for the U3A (University of the third Age) in Havelock North and build websites. I am presently President of the H.N. U3A where we have 300 members.
I am a member of the Model Flying H.B. and the H.B. Rock and Mineral club and collect Rocks and minerals. Diane on her world travels and overseas lectures is always bringing me new specimens. My interests have always been in science and how it affects the changing world and give presentations to local clubs.
We have seven Grandchildren Catherine, Adam & Ella (Diane & Andrew) and Andrea. Logan, Liam and Kayley (David & Karen)
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Our Grandson Adam was Dux of Scotts College in Wellington and is now a doctor at Wellington Hospital. His partner Zoe has a degree in nursing and works in Wellington. Grandson Logan came top of his honours degree in Electrical Engineering and computer systems in 2021 and is now doing a PhD in Computing at Auckland University. He is married to Emily who has a degree in Dance and is event manager for a retirement village. Grandson Liam is now studying Electrical Engineering and lives in Wellington with his partner Katie. Granddaughter Catherine, who was Dux of St. Margaret's College in Wellington completed a BSc in Maths, Physics, Geology and an MSc in Geophysics at Otago works as an analyst in a Government Department in Wellington. Her partner Dylan is a planning officer for Porirua Council (Near Wellington). They have recently bought their own house. Granddaughter Andrea after completing her degree in Commerce and Sports Science works as an Event Manager in Auckland for a large company. Ella completed her final year at Scotts College as a prefect and has Classics, Art. Chemistry and Biology as her favourites. She has just completed year 2 at Otago University in Science Communication, Biology and Classics. Ella travelled to the UK and Germany in November and December 2023 staying with family there. Also, she spent Christmas in Germany with her friend Any and her family. Amy came over from Germany last year as an exchange student and stayed with Ella. The lovely Kayley who is in her year 11 at secondary school at Havelock North is in dance groups and cheerleading groups. Her team won the Auckland competition and competed in Hawaii in May 2023. Andrew, Diane, Catherine, Dylan, Karen, Ella and Kayley have just returned from a month's holiday touring in Japan. (December 2023)
Rita & Norris
26 Palmbrook Avenue
Havelock North
New Zealand
4130
[email protected]
