Road-rage victim, 83, dies while mowing lawns

Norm Russell was a hard worker.

And at 81-years-old he had shown no signs of slowing down, with son Darrell saying Norm worked for him for about 18 years at the Piako Group and had done so right up until the day he died.

Norm died on Saturday after suffering a medical event while mowing the lawns at his Morrinsville home.

Darrell said his dad shouldn’t have been out mowing the lawns, but ‘‘Dad being Dad [he] had to get them done before we got home’’.

Norm was due to celebrate his 82nd birthday in May, but had struggled since a brutal road-rage incident in taki in December where he was allegedly hit in the face. He had bled from the nose and mouth for about two hours, where his dentures had cut his gum, and at the time said he was still ‘‘black and blue’’ a week after the incident, which he described as ‘‘cruel’’.

A man has now been charged with common assault and Darrell said the incident had really affected his father.

‘‘He couldn’t let it go, and he was very, very wound up about it.’’

After the alleged assault, Norm could not really see in that eye and Darrell said his dad had been left acting more urgent and anxious than previously.

Born and bred in Morrinsville, Norm worked for trucking company, Andy Smith Ltd, for more than 30 years. Carting stock for most of the farmers in the region, he had a reputation for treating animals well, so was well liked.

He was ‘‘infectious’’ and someone who just embraced people.

Darrell recalled his delivering coal in the early days.

‘‘[They would put] big bags of coal on their back and you would get there and Mrs Smith would want you to shift the whole thing.’’

At the time of Norm’s death his family were in Whangamata¯ commemorating the six-year anniversary of the death of Darrell and Catherine’s daughter, Amie.

The 15-year-old died in a paddle-boarding accident on January 7, 2015 after she was knocked off a stand-up paddle board and sucked beneath the water beside a boat.

Her leg rope became tangled on the keel of a yacht, holding her underwater, despite efforts from others nearby to save her.

Coroner Gordon Matenga recommended quick-release leashes for paddleboarders in white water, rivers and water with strong currents after her death.

When Amie died it broke Norm’s heart like everyone else, Darrell said.

Norm Russell was punched through the window of his car in a road-rage incident in December. Weeks later he died while mowing the lawns.