A life devoted to music and adventurous travel
Graeme Wallis, who has died aged 74, was devoted to music and the happiness of those around him.
He spent the best part of 55 years serving and teaching music in some capacity. In 2018, Wallis was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to music.
His influence earned him life member status with both the Christchurch Arts Centre and the city’s Civic Music Council.
‘‘Graeme’s innate ability to draw people together and work towards a common cause was legendary,’’ colleague Patrick Shepherd says.
Wallis was the musical director of the Christchurch School of Music for 10 years and was awarded life membership in 2004.
When he retired in 2005, the school named its library – one of the largest music libraries in Australasia – after him.
He was appointed patron of the Christchurch School of Music Trust in 2008. Eldest son Nathan says music was around their lives ever since he could remember.
‘‘Our household growing up was all about the music – music practice, music lessons, music groups . . . and there was always a music committee of some sort Dad was attending, often at our house.’’
Wallis was a talented guitar and bass player, and taught the instrument for a number of years. He also played bass for The Viscounts, a popular Christchurch band that has been going for more than five decades.
He also had a spell reviewing concerts and records at The Press newspaper in Christchurch.
He married Susan in 1969 and they had four children together – Nathan, Natasha, Tristan and Taisia. They separated after 29 years but remained good friends.
Wallis and his fiancee of 20 years, Penni Cushman, were keen travellers. Cushman says their differences complemented each other; Wallis had his music and collecting interests, while Cushman is an avid outdoors person.
Despite having less interest in the outdoors, Wallis was seldom afraid to give things a go. Cushman says she was often caught off guard by his fearless nature.
‘‘On one particular holiday we went skiing in Sweden and Graeme was a pretty amateur skier,’’ Cushman says.
‘‘He tentatively took to the learner slopes and by the end of the day I could see a 6 foot, 4 inch New Zealander standing on the magic carpet amongst a group of Swedish kids . . . he was loving it.’’
On the same holiday the pair each drove a team of huskies through the snow-laden forest, ducking and dodging tree branches as they went.
‘‘That was one of the highlights of my life to be honest, and Graeme’s,’’ Cushman says. ‘‘With Graeme’s frame this was no mean feat.
‘‘When we arrived at a little cabin in the middle of nowhere for wine by the fire, I noticed Graeme had lost his hat and had scratches on his head. He hadn’t noticed and was just, once again, grinning ear to ear.’’
The two attended weddings in India and Spain, cruised in Norway, rode bikes through Tuscany, rode camels in Dubai, walked the Cinque Terra in Italy and listened to the opera in Vienna.
Wallis completed a cycle race around Tekapo twice – a full 93km around waist-deep glacier lakes.
‘‘On many occasions, when I decided to do some challenging activity, Graeme was there beside me giving it his best. His physical strength and his determination, sometimes called stubbornness, were legendary,’’ Cushman says.
After music and travelling, Wallis was also a collector. He collected books and had a large model train collection he would show off to just about every guest.
He was fascinated by a particular collection at Mini Wunderland in Hamburg, Germany, which he visited three times and wanted to replicate.
‘‘He liked to think big and outside the box, and I think that was one of his great qualities,’’ Nathan Wallis says.
According to those closest to him, Wallis was generous and selfless. He loved to host parties and make himself responsible for the happiness of others. – By Jake Kenny