VSA volunteer Peter Blinkhorne died on assignment
"Peter was a passionate and highly respected volunteer who worked tirelessly."
VSA ceo Stephen Goodman
Volunteer Service Abroad member Peter Blinkhorne travelled light, lived simply and adhered strictly to punctuality when on assignments overseas.
When colleagues needed consoling, the fitness junkie offered help while remaining cool, calm and collected, fellow volunteers said.
The New Plymouth accountant died suddenly of a brain aneurysm in Nairobi, Kenya, on January 10, aged 65, while seconded to Australian Volunteers International (AVI) in Tanzania.
Blinkhorne had worked as a financial management advisor with VSA on seven assignments in Tanzania, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands, and Tonga since 2006.
He also did volunteer work with AVI in Botswana, and as business development officer with Botswana Red Cross Society, and Australian Red Cross.
Tanzania was his favourite destination where he climbed Mt Kilimanjaro, enjoyed off-road driving and embraced the culture.
Blinkhorne’s skills, as a qualified chartered accountant, were always in demand with small businesses, youth organisations and education providers he worked with during assignments.
Among the varied tasks he helped with were teaching literacy and business skills to prisoners as part of their rehabilitation.
‘‘Peter was a passionate and highly respected volunteer who worked tirelessly to help so many during his many assignments,’’ VSA chief executive Stephen Goodman said.
‘‘He has our respect and heartfelt thanks for all that he did for others through VSA and AVI.’’
VSA volunteer Te Kowhai Ohia worked with Blinkhorne at the Cook Islands Tertiary Training Institute in 2015.
Ohia remembered meeting Blinkhorne on her first assignment to the Cook Islands in 2015.
She was a ‘‘crying mess’’ overladen with 5-6 suitcases while Blinkhorne, a ‘‘serial volunteer’’ who had undertaken a number of volunteer assignments with VSA and other organisations, was ‘‘cool, calm and collected carrying his one small bag.’’
‘‘He kindly consoled me for a good hour or two as the sadness of leaving my family and friends slowly dissipated while the excitement of this new adventure grew.
‘‘This was my introduction to Peter Blinkhorne, the polite and charming gentleman, fitness junkie, and minimalist.
‘‘I was definitely in the hands of an expert who turned out to be a key player in my induction into volunteer life.
‘‘I will be forever grateful to my VSA buddy and mentor Peter Blinkhorne.’’
Blinkhorne passed on the importance of being punctual and professional, she said.
Punctuality to work was imperative to Blinkhorne and being unpaid was no excuse for tardiness.
At work Blinkhorne was committed and professional, and being diligent and productive in assignments was a ‘‘must’’, she said.
‘Chit chat’ during work was not tolerated. He would peer at me over his reading glasses if he thought that my catch ups with colleagues were a little too long,’’ she said.
Peter Blinkhorne is survived by his daughter, Amy, and his partner, Mary.