In Fond Memory of Rodney Dearing

It’s with great sadness that we have to report the passing away of one of our members, Rodney Dearing, on Friday 11^th after a long and fierce battle with cancer.

Rod was very much one of today’s writers, boldly finding his way through the labyrinthine task of getting his children’s books into publication. He wrote some corker stories, polished and perfected them with the help of our group, located and worked with talented illustrators, and created bright, funny books that will delight young readers. The Brilliant Mr Badger stories and his other Cadet Willie McBride series are a sound legacy that will live on in years to come.

We all admired his determination and optimism as he worked hard to succeed at a near-impossible task. That he has done it well is a tribute to his skill and persistence, and an unwavering dedication to his craft.

Our meetings will be quieter without his spirited participation. We will all be poorer for his loss, but richer for knowing him.

With respect,

Bev Robitai

An Obituary

Rodney was born in Whangarei, New Zealand, and educated at Takapuna Grammar School in New Zealand. He's a graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England and served in the New Zealand Army. During his military career he's held various active service and staff appointments. He was the NZ Instructor at the Australian Officer Cadet School Portsea. He commanded the NZ Special Air Service in Borneo. He took early retirement from the NZ Defence Force in the rank of Colonel and was appointed Director, Museum of Transport and Technology in Auckland. He stood successfully for public election as a member of the Auckland Regional Services Trust and was a Director of Infrastructure Auckland and America's Cup Village for four years. He's a Fellow of the NZ Institute of Management. He's presently a Trustee of the North Shore Life Education Trust and runs his own company as a consultant in Civil Defence Emergency Management for local councils. His interests include science and technology, management, travel, children's and adult education and writing letters to the Editor of the NZ Herald! He's a member of the Royal NZ Returned and Services Association, Rotary International and KiwiWrite4Kids.He's married with four children and lives in Meadowbank, Auckland, New Zealand.