Fabulous father and calm military man
Air Marshal David Crooks took up many interests after his retirement from the air force.
OBITUARY
To reach the very pinnacle of the armed forces calls for a certain amount of sacrifice. For former Chief of Defence
Staff Air Marshal David Crooks and his family, that meant a life constantly on the move.
His wife Barbara says they shifted every two years, and moved house 26 times. ‘‘I called it sophisticated camping. You always knew you were not permanent, you went knowing you were going onto the next posting.’’
Crooks died peacefully in Wellington, aged 90, and was farewelled at a military funeral on March 16.
Daughter Helen Beaumont said her father touched many lives with his warmth, his generosity and his ability to draw people together – often for a jolly good party.
Crooks was the son of Gladys and Jim Crooks, and big brother to Bob and Nancy. He grew up on a farm in Loburn, Canterbury. He attended the local primary school and went on to high school in Rangiora, where he was a keen sportsman playing rugby and cricket.
He fronted up to the Royal New Zealand Air Force recruiting office when he left school, and was turned down because he was too young. So he took his ham radio skills to civil aviation in Awanui, north of Kaitaia.
He finally joined the air force in 1951, trained at Taeiri, and met Barbara at a dance in Dunedin. ‘‘Their first dance was on that night, and they have danced together, beautifully, over the 70 years since,’’ Beaumont said.
They were married in 1954 at Caversham Presbyterian Church and, as a devoted husband but one that was away a lot, he wrote letters to keep in touch, always beginning with ‘‘my dearest Barbara’’.
They had four children: Margaret, Helen, Kathryn and Sara. Beaumont said he was a fabulous father who taught them to water ski, drive, garden, tramp through the hills and how to party.
‘‘Looking sharp was important to him. Sharing fine wines with good company was also important to him. Always fit, he played sport, ran marathons and in his later years continued to go camping with the extended whānau and to walk the hills, and we are talking three to four hours away on a lone mission when he was well into his 80s..’’
Crooks has 17 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren, not all of them biological offspring. But as ‘‘Pop’’, he embraced the blended and extended families and cherished all the extra grandchildren and greatgrandchildren as precious gifts, Beaumont said.
Friend and colleague Peter
Adamson said Crooks’ extensive and varied flying career began in 1950 as a 19-year-old flying Tiger Moths with the Canterbury Aero Club. It continued with Compulsory Military Training flying at Taieri, followed by enlistment as a cadet pilot.
He completed the instructors’ course in 1953 with a high rating and began training pilots at Wigram and the Central Flying School. He was seconded to England during this time, and had his first taste of flying in jet aircraft and helicopters.
In 1956 he completed the Vampire fighter conversion course at Ohakea, before returning to
Taieri as the Territorial Air Force adjutant. Crooks was then posted to No 14 squadron in Singapore, where he trained with the first course of RNZAF crews to convert to Canberra bombers at RAF Bassingbourn in England in 1958.
He returned to New Zealand in 1960 to instruct new crews at Ohakea before getting a posting to the Defence Secretariat – the upper echelons of defence policy and planning. He was promoted to a role at operations group headquarters and spent three years as head of the New Zealand Defence Liaison Staff for Singapore and Malaysia.
On his return to Ohakea, he was in charge of all flying operations, studied at the Royal College of Defence Studies in London in 1975, and became the director of policy development in New Zealand’s defence headquarters.
In the early 80s, he rose through the ranks as senior air staff officer, air commodore, air officer commanding, deputy chief of air staff and air vice-marshal, before becoming chief of air staff.
In the 1985 New Year Honours list he was appointed to be a Companion of the Order of the
Bath.
‘‘In the following year he was called upon to take up the appointment of Chief of Defence Staff and the command of all three armed services, which is the pinnacle of any serviceman’s career,’’ Adamson says.
After retirement, he continued his services as chairman of the Museum Trust Board, president of the Air Force Association, president of the Air Training Corps
Association and a keen supporter of the Brevet Club.
‘‘I count myself fortunate to have served under David’s command several times,’’ Adamson says. ‘‘In all his dealings he was highly principled, professional and correct. He was calm, scrupulously fair, would listen attentively and invariably come to reasoned conclusions.’’
RSA national president BJ Clark said he was deeply saddened.
’’Air Marshal Crooks had a military career which spanned almost 40 years, and his rise to the most senior position within the New Zealand Defence Force is a testament to his leadership, and reflects the professionalism and determination he was known for,’’ he said.
Crooks had a special interest in Antarctica and did many trips there during his time in the air force, and gave evidence to the Erebus inquiry.
Barbara Crooks said her husband took up computers, sailing and vintage cars in his retirement – buying a Morris 8. ‘‘We had 20 years motoring in that – we dressed up and went to Art Deco in Napier every year, and the Morris 8 has now been passed on to one of our grandsons.’’
The couple were members of the Vintage Car Club in Wellington, and the Morris 8 touring club based in Christchurch.
Crooks studied and got his offshore navigators ticket to relocate yachts around the Pacific, The family enjoyed sailing trips every Christmas, and Crooks was part of an informal group called the Arid Islands Yacht Club.
After almost 70 years of marriage, Barbara Crooks will cherish the memories. ‘‘He was marvellous, we were very lucky.’’