‘He was my brother and my best friend’
‘‘New Zealand and India have lost a huge asset,’’ Venkat Raman says.
The Indian Newslink editor was talking about prominent Kiwi-Indian businessman Wenceslaus Anthony, who died following a brief illness in India on July 23.
Anthony had lived on the Te Atatu Peninsula in west Auckland for more than 18 years when he died at 59-years-old.
He moved to New Zealand in 1999, founded WA Marketing Ltd and became a prominent figure in New Zealand-Indian business circles.
Anthony was a former chairman of the India New Zealand Business Council, the first person of Indian origin to do so.
He was also a part of New Zealand government delegations to India twice, in the years 2001 and 2011.
In 2013, he received the New Zealand Order of Merit award for his services to New Zealand-India relations.
Raman was a longtime friend of Anthony and said New Zealand and India had lost a huge asset.
‘‘He integrated many New Zealand government, non government and trade organisations to cross-border relations with India,’’ Raman said.
‘‘He was my brother and my best friend.
‘‘There wasn’t a day in the past 18 years that passed by without a conversation with him over the phone, irrespective of the country, city, or time zone we were in.’’
Anthony was involved in organisations, including the Business Advisory Group of International College of Auckland, New Zealand India Research Institute and the Multicultural New Zealand Business Advisory Board.
His most recent honour was receiving the Papal Medal, Pro Ecclessia Et Pontifice, the highest civilian honour given out by the Roman Catholic Church.
Bishop Patrick Dunn from the Diocese of Auckland said ‘‘Wency’’ was a man of great faith.
‘‘Just days prior to his untimely death, he had been on pilgrimage in the Holy Land,’’ Dunn said.
‘‘Wency was a natural leader and a man of great personal humility and simplicity. He touched the lives of thousands.’’
Anthony is survived by his wife Susan, son Akash and daughter Sneha.