Tributes measure of esteem
Dr Chris Cresswell was deeply loved by many in Whanganui.
About 1000 people gathered at Moutoa Gardens to farewell Cresswell on Saturday, January 7, 2017, and speakers repeatedly talked of Cresswell as a man of love, peace and unity.
Cresswell was passionate about equality, the environment and medicine and family friend Rochelle Bullock said he was “well respected and loved amongst all people”.
Cresswell's older sister, Nicola Dickie, said her brother loved Dr Seuss' book on the perils of corporate greed, The Lorax, when he was a child.
“I think he really lived by the lessons of that story and became the Lorax,” she said.
He worked alongside iwi and was prominent in advancing Ma¯ori health.
He was also politically active and a member of the Green Party. He was a major player in raising awareness of climate change, and publicly opposed and demonstrated against the Trans Pacific Partnership and seabed mining.
In September 2016 he climbed on top of local MP Chester Borrows' car during a protest against the TPP and in November that year helped organise a local march to encourage awareness of climate change issues.
Cresswell’s son Connor was
head boy at Whanganui High School in 2016 and paid tribute to his father at Moutoa Gardens with a reading of the Dylan Thomas poem Do not go gentle into that Good Night. His cousin Angus chose to be “upbeat” in his homage to his uncle: “Looking round the people gathered here, I reckon it is safe to say that my uncle was a bloody weirdo and you should all be as quirky as you can to honour his memory,” Angus said.
Then Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei travelled from Dunedin to attend Cresswell’s funeral.
“He was deeply inspirational. I loved the way he always took life by the horns and enjoyed what he did,” Turei said.
Iwi representative Ken Mair said Cresswell’s work in the community was exceptional.
“In his work as a doctor as well as his courage in standing up and advocating for causes like climate change, he was always humble and respectful.”
The predominant colours at the gathering were green (Cresswell’s favourite colour, representative of his political affiliations and love for the environment) and blue, worn by his medical colleagues.
There were al s o bri ght butterflies and sunflowers representing the peaceful protests and action groups that were an important part of his life.
As a member of Whanganui Peace Action group, Cresswell travelled to Auckland to protest against the visit of an American nuclear warship and an arms conference.
“He was always respectful in the way he spoke to people in those situations ,” fellow protester Denise Lockett said.
“The police were arming themselves with long batons and Chris said ‘please don’t use those, guys — they hurt people’ and that was how he was, he always used reason.”
Whanganui Mayor Hamish McDouall said he admired Cresswell’s ability to bring people together and encourage others.
“He touched us all with his love of life, his incredible charisma and strong principles,” he said.
Coast Care c o- ordi nator Graham Pearson said he was always impressed with the time Cresswell made to show his support for community projects.
“He was a doctor but he always tried to be an ambulance-at-the-top-of-the-cliff kind of guy . . . he encouraged people to eat well, exercise and enjoy the environment as well.”