Leeston community loses farming icon
Terry Chappell died on January 4, 2016, he was 76. He is survived by his wife Jennifer, his four children Leanne Hollever, Sydney Chappell, Murray Chappell and Kevin Chappell, his seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Their eyes locked at a party in the 1960s – the girl on the dance floor, the drummer in the band. The rest, as they say, is Leeston history.
Terrence ‘‘Terry’’ Chappell and Jennifer Chappell were married at the Lincoln Presbyterian church in 1964, on Jennifer’s 21st birthday.
The pair were fourth-generation farmers, running Killkerry farm in Leeston until their son, Kevin, took over in 2006.
‘‘We recently celebrated the 100th year of Killkerry farm.’’
On January 4, 2016, Terry Chappell died after a battle with cancer. He was 76.
He is survived by his wife Jennifer, his four children Leanne Hollever, Sydney Chappell, Murray Chappell and Kevin Chappell, his seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Chappell was diagnosed with cancer in 2010, managing to ‘‘carry on quite well’’ after chemotherapy, but in the last six months he fell ill once again, Jennifer Chappell said.
She recalled her husband’s varied life of business success and farming innovation. ‘‘He was a man of many interests and talents,’’ she said.
Chappell was a cattle breeder, credited with introducing some of the first limousin cattle to New Zealand, bringing two embryos of the prized breed over from France in the early 1970s.
‘‘He recently got his badge for 50 years of breeding cattle,’’ his wife said.
Chappell’s keen eye had him called up as a cattle judge on many an occasion, a job that often took him across the Tasman.
‘‘He really enjoyed judging, and it really did take him all over.’’
He was an avid darts player, an award-winning duck hunter, and a collector of vintage cars and motorbikes.
‘‘He continued drumming throughout his life,’’ his wife said, the sight of Chappell behind a drum kit always bringing back memories of the day they met.
‘‘He was in a band called Top Cat for 20 years, playing every Saturday night to whoever would have them.’’
He played the drums for the Ellesmere pipe band, members of which performed at Chappell’s memorial service.
His wife said they made sure to honour his unique last wish.
‘‘We had a couple of old butter wagons which we had done up, so he was taken away in the back of one of them – it was quite fitting.’’
A crowd of 600 gathered to farewell Chappell, a man who made his mark on the Selwyn farming community.
His wife said she had never seen so many people at a funeral.
‘‘It was unbelievable.’’