Work was never a chore, but a pleasure
When one of those asked to speak at Warwick Johnson’s farewell advised those present not to feel obliged to turn their phones off, he raised much more than a wry smile in the standingroom-only Wintec Atrium.
Kevin O’Brien was alluding to his longtime friend’s love of people and of the real estate deal.
‘‘Warwick loved nothing better than the sound of a phone ringing and I am sure he would be particularly pleased if he thought a couple of deals had been concluded before we finish here today,’’ Kevin said.
Shortly before Warwick’s death, he and Kevin, along with their wives, Mary and Sue, had completed the Otago Rail Trail. Kevin noted that Warwick loved to talk and, everywhere they went, never missed an opportunity to chat to strangers.
‘‘On the ride, it took me the first couple of hours to work out why Warwick loved the hills so much. It involved reception and his ability to continue to negotiate deals on the go. After day two, he had put two deals to bed and was never far from his phone.
‘‘While waiting for some sheep to cross the trail, Warwick got talking to the farmer: He found out where he lived, where his 200,000-hectare runoff was, what type of sheep, what the market was like. By that time, about 10,000 sheep had crossed in front of us, so we rode off. Not Warwick, though. He had more information to find out. Ten minutes later, Warwick comes steaming up, saturated with sheep-farming knowledge and looking for the next high point from which to communicate a deal.’’
Warwick’s death was unexpected – he was felled by a heart attack after a family day which included a picnic and playing with his grandchildren while on a trip to Havelock North to celebrate his twin daughters’ birthday.
It is a signature description of the man that he died surrounded by his family. Warwick’s son-in-law Toby Braun said Warwick’s priorities were focused on his wife, Mary, and their daughters. As such, it was clear that Toby would be in Warwick’s good books as long as he looked after his daughter Leigh and their children.
‘‘Warwick used to say to Mary that he would be responsible for refuse, security and finances, and he expected the same of me. These may sound like quite narrow responsibilities, but they have proven to be a pretty good cornerstone to a successful family.’’
Warwick was born in Auckland, where his father, Roger, managed five Modern Bags shops, along with working on weekends at the Esplanade Hotel in Devonport – instilling a solid work ethic in Warwick from an early age. Early in the 1950s, the family moved to the Morrinsville Hotel (Top Pub), which Roger managed, followed by stints at the Talisman Hotel in Katikati and the Taupiri Hotel.
It was at this last establishment that Warwick and brother Grant would spend a good part of Saturday helping their father at the pub. Part of their duties was filling anything up to 200 beer flagons, sampling a few for quality-control purposes. Warwick attended
Nga¯ ruawa¯ hia High School as a founding pupil. He was a keen rugby player, later in life playing for work teams in the Public Service Tournament, and coaching junior teams. Throughout his life, Warwick loved his rugby and was proud to sponsor the University Rugby Club and the Boys’ High First XV.
Turns out, Warwick was enough of a ‘‘closet rocker’’ in his time to be remembered in his funeral guest book by members of the ex-Huntly College pop/ rock band The Rumour, which hit fame and some fortune in the 1970s with their chart-topping hit L’amour Est L’enfant de la Liberte.
Daughter Leigh said Warwick had eclectic taste in music, from the Beatles to the White Stripes. ‘‘He saw Melissa Etheridge in concert two weeks before his death. He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of lyrics and artists and often dropped these into conversations to test others.’’ After leaving school, Warwick travelled to Dunedin and worked as an accountant with the Lands and Survey Department. He later transferred to Hamilton and Auckland, then to State Coal Mines (later Solid Energy) in Huntly. The positions, Warwick was to later say, provided the broad background in land transactions and finance that gave him a sound foundation on which to build a successful real estate career, all 30 years of which he spent with Lodge Real Estate.
He was remembered by managing director Jeremy O’Rourke for his loyalty to the company, as a mentor to countless agents down the years, as someone who always had time for others, and as an agent who was always focused on doing the right thing by clients.
As daughter Tamara said, Warwick taught his daughters by example the value of hard work, good judgment, courage and integrity. The family knew he loved his work. It was never a chore, but a pleasure and passion. Warwick was well-known in the Hamilton community. ‘‘I have lost count of the number of times I have been asked, after introducing myself, ‘You’re not Warwick Johnson’s daughter, are you?’ ‘‘
Mary and Warwick met in Dunedin’s Gardens Sports Tavern when Warwick was 22 and Mary 17. They married in 1975 and by 1978 were living in Hamilton, had bought a house in James Street, and Mary had given birth to twins Katie and Leigh. Three years later to the day, Tamara was born, and the Johnson family was complete, at least until Josh entered their lives in 1996, when Mary and Warwick became his guardians.
Of the many available, there is one final tale to tell. In 1991, accompanied by his mate Kevin, Warwick headed off to the World Cup in England, where he started one of the world’s bigger bun fights. Following the Australia-England final, the two friends were seated in one of the huge after-match marquees that held thousands of fans. Kevin told those at Warwick’s farewell that his friend of some 40 years was one of the first to spot a party of South Africans carrying a sign proclaiming no one could claim to be the world champions until they had beaten their team.
‘‘I swear as I am standing in front of you that Warwick threw his bread roll at one of the guys with the banner.
‘‘ I thought it very out of character for Warwick but, obviously, I had to follow his lead and then, to my amazement, I looked up and the air was full of buns as I witnessed one of the biggest food fights in history.’’
Warwick, said Leigh, was all the good things a man could be: ‘‘A loving husband, father, grandfather and friend, a very hard worker, a traveller, a lover of music and rugby.’’
Warwick was the loving and loved husband of Mary; father of Katie (and Andy), Leigh (and Toby) and Tamara (and Jeremy); the son of Norma and the late Roger Johnson; and ‘‘grandie’’ of Poppy, George, Freddy, Stella, Rosalind, Leo, Oliver, and Giovana (who arrived on April 30).
A Life Story tells of a New Zealander who helped to shape the Waikato community. If you know of someone whose life story should be told, please email Charles.riddle@wintec.ac.nz