December 4, 2008

The death of Pahiatua businessman Tony Jury in an accident on the Pahiatua Track during the weekend has left a void that will be difficult to fill, several Pahiatua people who knew him said.
Mr Jury was the man behind Tony Jury Motorcycles, a station officer at the Pahiatua Fire Station, and was a JP.
'He leaves a very big pair of shoes to fill,' Pahiatua On Track deputy chairman Robin Whiteman said.
'I knew him as president of Rotary. We had a yearly golf tournament and whenever we asked local businesses for donations, he was always very generous. As a businessman he ran an excellent ship. The staff were always happy campers and very pleasant people to deal with. In a rural town like Pahiatua, with the economic downturn, he was still able to run a tight ship. Wearing my two hats as chairman of Rotary and deputy chairman of Pahiatua On Track, I can say he will be sadly missed.'
One person who knew Mr Jury well was Pahiatua chief fire officer Peter Davies.
'I've known Peter for 40 years. He was born and bred in the town, and I've seen him grow up. He was very well respected in the town as a person and as a businessman.
'He has been a member of the fire brigade for 22 years, and was one of my station officers. He was a very, very loyal member. No matter what we were doing, whether it be fundraising, training, or anything else, he was always involved.'
Mr Jury had also been an active part of the competition teams when competitions were strong within the New Zealand Fire Service, Mr Davies said.
Mr Jury had been president of the North Wairarapa Motor Trades association, and was known for his support of apprenticeship training.
Another Pahiatua motorcycle dealer, Bevan Bissett of Bissett Honda, said Mr Jury was somebody who had always been prepared to share his knowledge with others.
'I've known Tony for probably 15 years. Fifteen years ago I was just a schoolkid and I did a bit of work for him after school.
'Even though I held the Honda dealership, and he was the Suzuki dealer, Tony was the sort of guy who never held a grudge and always helped me out.
'I'd always ring him for advice, and Tony had a stack of knowledge, and he was very willing to share it.'
Police are still appealing for witnesses to the crash which happened around 3.50pm on Sunday afternoon on Makomako Road when Mr Jury's motorbike collided with a Holden Commodore.
Mr Jury died at the scene and his 45-year-old female pillion passenger was airlifted to hospital where she is in a serious but stable condition.
The driver of the Holden was shaken but not injured.
The crash is subject to an investigation by the Serious Road Crash Investigation Unit to establish the cause.