Last respects to quake victim
Jo-Anne Mackinnon touched the lives of many people who had the pleasure of meeting her.
Those people turned out in their hundreds yesterday to farewell Mackinnon, who died as she fled from the home she shared with her partner and Mt Lyford identity Gary Morton during last week’s earthquake.
Morton said Mackinnon was ‘‘loved by everyone’’.
He reflected on a wealth of good times the pair enjoyed.
‘‘We went to Tonga for two weeks – absolutely loved it. Route 66, we did that . . . Mustang convertibles for a month and that was absolutely tremendous. It was a trip of a lifetime for everyone involved and especially for Jo and myself.
‘‘She had some really good times before she went and I’m pleased about that.’’
Morton told mourners he and Mackinnon had booked a Caribbean cruise. They were then going to a Las Vegas car show.
‘‘The part that I’m really going to miss out of the whole thing is having Jo with me to rebuild,’’ he said. ‘‘She would have everything done by now.’’
In her eulogy, a friend said Mackinnon touched the lives of many people. ‘‘Those who had the pleasure of knowing her, will miss her forever.’’
Morton had expected a big turnout for the funeral.
She was prominent in her field, which he referred to as a Government service, and friends were coming from Australia and Auckland.
The couple were flung to the ground when the earthquake hit Mt Lyford last week and Mackinnon lost consciousness. She was unable to be revived. The cause of her death is still to be determined.
Morton said he was overwhelmed by offers from strangers to fly Mackinnon home to Kaikoura.
She was one of two people who died during last week’s magnitude7.8 earthquake. The other was Louis Edgar, 74, who died when the Elms Homestead collapsed.