Jean ROBERTS Obituary

Dear Jean and Peter,
I was staggered to learn from Jennifer that Jean, who I had confidently expected to be Scottish dancing and making curtains and until she was at least 100 years of age, had passed on and absolutely shocked to hear that Peter had preceded Jean a few months earlier. It is sad to think that after such a long and close friendship that our paths have not crossed in more recent times.

My expectation to join your family and friends at Romaleigh to celebrate your lives was put aside by the combined factors of Saturday's stormy weather and the need for me to drive to Auckland and back from Tauranga in one afternoon, which together became too much to handle now that I am about to enter my 83rd year.

It is hard to believe that it is nearly 50 years since I was made responsible for the interior decoration of the Northern Building Society's new Head Office building, on the corner of Mayoral Drive and Greys Avenue and by recommendation, met you both for the first time in your downtown Cherrywood Furnishing showroom.

And what a great result was finally achieved; not only visually, but conceptually it was far ahead of its time with the introduction of work stations, open coffee areas etc, when others were still fully into desks with drawers and fixed tea breaks etc.

I can still see in my mind's eye, Jean on her hands and knees at 10pm on the night before the official opening by the Prime Minister, ironing on the meeting room floor, the three metre long drapes of that large room, with a steam iron, that had a long extension lead. And Peter was there as well, painting black, various little features that offended his artistic taste.

Our friendship certainly developed from those days, with many Friday evenings spent drinking Peter's cherished French Chateau reds that he later kept stored under your Seaview Road home, along with his magazine collection and beloved orchids.

Almost as beloved, as his lit by night glasshouse, where he planned for the year 3000, by growing from seed, all types of trees including Kauris for Jennifer to plant on the Northland site that I had introduced her to some years before. Of course, whilst Peter was pottering with his orchids and glasshouse, Jean was busy growing an array of vegetables on the adjoining soil!!

But although she never convinced either Peter or me to become Scottish dancers, our mutual friends Donald Trott and Val Sinclair regularly participated, complete with their respective tartan skirts. Peter references to me about Scottish dancing were usually confined to the Chief.

Peter singing (except the falsetto!!) was of course a joy to everyone (especially his version of Old Man River) and the trio that he sang in at rest homes and hospitals for all those years, gave thousands of people immense pleasure.

I will never forget my fiftieth birthday celebration at J.C.'s in Takapuna when Peter sang a duet with Val, who was very well known in operatic circles. Afterwards, Peter told me that Val opened her mouth so wide when she sang, that he was really concerned about overbalancing for fear of falling into her mouth and never being seen again!!

And what about the Cherrywood move to Ponsonby. I do not know whether it was moving away from his friend Ron Kingsnorth, who owned the Japanese bath house in the street above, or what, but it was Jean who took over the move and along with your staff and me and my friend, the late Tom Newman, as movers and labourers, the thousands of stock items were eventually transferred to their new home.

Jean as we all know was a very determined lady. Who could forget her deciding in middle age to get a driving licence and after taking independent driving lessons, failing the test again and again and again, only to persist and finally succeed? Not many people would have persevered as she did and even fewer would have successfully taken up surf boarding for the first time, when they were in their fifties!!

Of course Jean's pride and joy was the Seaview Road spa pool and there were not many of the Roberts friends did not finish up in the spa pool after a meal with Peter and Jean. And what a cook she was. I have seen her prepare a casual meal for a number of people from virtually nothing and as well, I have enjoyed many a banquet at their magnificent dining table, cooked by Jean to Chefs standards. I still retain a number of Jean's recipes that she subsequently typed out for me, following a special dinner.

Mind you, I also remember when fondue cooking was all the rage and Peter put down on that magnificent table, a few of tablemats under small portable gas ring and a hot pot, in which we cooked our pieces of meat on skewers and later used to dip marshmallows and fruit in hot chocolate. I also remember the look on Peter's face when he found that the mats were not enough insulation and the table top had been charred in a circular ring. It took all of his french polishing skills to get back the table's original lustre!!

No doubt he got over this whilst fishing!! I remember the fine craft that he and Herb owned, that was parked in the driveway waiting for the every weekend wet or fine fishing excursion under the Auckland Harbour Bridge and also recall Peter's annual fishing trips to Fiji, to say nothing of his ultimate success on his and Herb's annual Northland deep sea fishing trips. We have all benefited from lots of his smoked marlin, on countless occasions.

I am indebted to you both, for making me feel so welcome in your home and I am blessed with the memories of our special times together, all of which will remain with me forever.

May you both rest in peace.
Clive Tippins.