Donovan Bell (6 November 1927- 4 April 2009) - by Mrs Bell

After teaching at Morrinsville College for six years, Donovan was appointed to set up the Technical department at the new Otūmoetai College, commencing from 1 February 1965. The Governor-General, Sir Bernard Fergusson, officially opened the college on 25 March 1865, planting a kauri tree which has now reached an impressive size.

As the college grew, Donovan was appointed Head of the Technical Department, specialising in technical drawing, and in 1969 he helped to develop the syllabus for School Certificate and University Entrance. He was the one who helped to set the examination papers, and he marked them for several years.

Designing and building the first school canteen as a project; building sets for musical productions, and contributing to establishing the Oteora school camp: these were all popular with the practical students.

In the third term of 1965, Matua Primary School opened, and Donovan was elected as the secretary of the Parent and Teacher Association. At that time, he coached a college soccer team, and later took swimming lessons at Matua Primary School.

After a year of living in rental accommodation, including the original Tilby homestead, our new home was built on the corner of the unformed Tilby Drive and Levers Road. Tilby Drive was constructed one year later, and we watched the gradual development of the Matua Peninsula from the farms, orchards, glasshouses – and a few homes – to a popular residential suburb with attractive parks and gardens.

For recreation, Donovan became a keen member of the Tauranga Tramping Club, enjoying tramps in the Kaimai Range at weekends, and longer tramps to Ruapehu, Tongariro and Egmont (Taranaki) at the end of Term 3 before each Christmas. Family and friends joined him to walk the Milford Track as Freedom Walkers in January 1980, when we were caught in snow. Trips walking around Lake Waikaremoana were also enjoyed together.

A different interest was dancing. First we did old-time sequence dancing before finding out that square and round dancing were more our style. These we enjoyed for more than twenty years, including a trip with forty members of the Orange City Square and Round Dance Club to a convention in Caloundra, Queensland, combining sightseeing and dancing.

By then our four daughters had grown up in Tauranga. Two settled in Australia, giving us an excuse for numerous trips to see family and take in some interesting tours, including a cruise from Cairns to the Barrier Reef, Daintree Forest and Cooktown, where Captain Cook had his ship Endeavour repaired. A more recent trip to Canada and Alaska, including a cruise through the passage down to Vancouver, was very interesting.

In 1980 Donovan took five months’ leave from the college, enabling us to spend a month touring and visiting relatives in South Africa, followed by a week in Israel, then to Athens and Rome on the way to England. Donovan had been born at South Shields, County Durham, and grew up in Essex. During the war he was evacuated with his school, Clacton High, to Kidderminster, for eighteen months. We bought a VW Campervan and toured the continent for six weeks, then spent another six weeks visiting his relatives and old friends around England and Scotland.

On leaving college, Donovan had followed six generations of his family by joining the Merchant Navy towards the end of the war. He was torpedoed in the English Channel and celebrated VE Day in London. After trips to New Zealand, he and a friend decided to settle here, and were able to get a trip delivering a new ship. He did a rehabilitation course in carpentry and cabinet-making, and worked in the building trade for several years, at the same time building our first home at Castor Bay on the North Shore, Auckland. Then followed a year at teacher training college to become a technical teacher. By then we had two daughters, Maxine and Adrienne. Two more were born at Morrinsville, Suzanne and Linda.

Since his retirement after 29 years teaching, Donovan followed his interest in environmental issues, and with two friends planned and led Thursday walks for the Forest and Bird Society for some years, sharing his knowledge of birds and trees. In the year 2000, he was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation, and made a Distinguished Branch Member of the Royal Forest and Bird Society of New Zealand.

More recently, when his health did not allow such vigorous activity, Donovan trained to be a guide at The Elms Mission House, enjoying sharing his knowledge of the history and trees there with school groups and tourists. The Silver Probus Club provided interesting social activities, and, as members of their Silver Singers choir, we entertained older folk in rest homes.

Since coming to live in Tauranga, we have been active members of St. John’s Anglican Church, Otūmoetai, helping to build the existing church and lounge under the leadership of the Rev. Harold Titterton as minister. Donovan served several terms on the vestry and was a member of the Men’s Fellowship Group.

On April 4 2009, Donovan died suddenly at home after a short illness, having enjoyed a full and satisfying life.