Hit-and-run victim was ‘great friend’
Friends of the Whanganui 79-year-old killed in a presumed hit-and-run are remembering her as a friendly, vibrant, outspoken and larger-than-life woman.
Masonic Retirement Village resident Fay Lorraine Butler, 79, also known as Fay O’brien, was found dead about 2am on Wednesday morning near the intersection of Anzac Parade and Helmore St, having suffered injuries likely caused by a vehicle.
Police have yet to find the driver or the vehicle but are grateful for the information and surveillance footage people have provided so far, as the investigation continues.
Masonic Court Rest Home facility manager Victoria Morris said Butler had an independentliving flat at the retirement village in Masonic Drive, and the entire village was in shock.
Butler was a lively and fun woman who had made virtually all of the staff and residents a friend in her two years of living there, Morris said.
‘‘We just hope that whoever was responsible, whoever ran from the scene, realises she was an important part of our village and how hard this is for her family and friends. They need to do the right thing and come forward so we can all have some closure.’’
The village will hold a memorial to celebrate Butler’s life, once her friends and family have had time to process what happened, Morris said.
Family friend Latisha Hobson said everyone would sorely miss Butler. ‘‘I will always remember Fay as the loving, kind aunty who always made me feel loved. My condolences to Fay’s family.’’
Hobson met the woman she came to call ‘‘Aunty Fay’’ when she was 15, just after she and her mother, Sandy Mcfarlane, moved to New Zealand from Perth in 1991.
Butler was fiercely independent and found it hard to admit when she needed help, but was rarely slow to help those around her. ‘‘Moving from another country is never easy, but Fay was a great friend ... It was only me and my mum who moved to New Zealand, and Fay instantly made us feel welcome and feel like family.’’
Butler was proud of her family and loved to talk about them.
Butler visited Hobson and her mother at least twice a week.
And like any aunty, she offered Hobson an open ear, friendly advice and back up throughout her life. It is by sheer chance a native falcon that bled from the beak and broke its leg is still alive today.
If a Feilding veterinarian hadn’t taken the injured ka¯rearea to Massey University’s Wildbase Hospital, shortly after it was found on June 27, the bird might be dead.
The juvenile falcon, which three months ago had clear signs of trauma, was released near Feilding on Friday.
New Zealand’s only falcon, the ka¯rearea is our most threatened bird with only 3000–5000 breeding pairs remaining.
It is mainly found in heavy bush and steep country in the South Island, and is rarely seen north of the central North Island.
It is known as an aggressive bird that gets violent when defending its territory, and has been reported to attack dogs as well as people.
Wildbase Hospital technician Pauline Nijman said the bird had blood around its beak and mouth when it arrived at hospital, but was feisty and active. ‘‘That was a really good sign for us.’’
The next day, she was given an anaesthetic and radiographed to show the extent of the injuries. She had a fractured lower leg, which needed to be realigned with a splint.
During her stay, veterinarians encouraged her to test her injured leg without interfering.
They made some clever adjustments to her cage and watched her grapple with the challenges via video link.
This included putting food on thinner branches and watching her strength and dexterity.
Nijman said the bird ate well and put on plenty of weight while in hospital, and there were no further complications.
‘‘However, the point of fracture developed a large bony scar tissue and the bird’s strength and dexterity had suffered due to the injury. This meant that rehabilitation was needed.’’
The bird was sent to Central Energy Trust Wildbase Recovery on July 21 and was put inside the Raptor Aviary, one of the areas with public viewing.
The centre was built for birds to recover, while freeing up space within the hospital.