Ngā mate

Born in Ōaro in 1922, Cyril Kerei Keepa (Gray) died peacefully on 7 May 2015.

He was a special kaumātua, dad, granddad and great-granddad to all his moko, husband to Pat, trusted friend and a special uncle to many.

He was the last of the 14 siblings of Henare Kerei Keepa (Harry Gray) and the graceful and lovely Mahalla (Ali Grace Norton) to leave us.

Apart from time spent in the Pacific during WWII, Cyril spent nearly all of his working life in Westport, mainly in the transport and fishing industries, where his five children Dennis, Ken, Tony, Janice and Dale were born.

We were always travelling back and forth across the Alps to Kaikōura and Ōaro to visit whānau and now dad’s final journey will be to join his dear mum and the rest of his departed whānau overlooking south and the rest of the bays from the urupā at Ōaro. Our last mighty tōtara has indeed fallen and will be missed by us all.