Farewell to city identity
"Growing up, I couldn't find one crossword that hadn't already been filled in. When I was little, I used to think they came printed that way!"
Son Richard
Long-time Waikato Times crossword creator and Flim Flam author Michael Easther has died.
And in true Michael Easther fashion, he penned his very own farewell Flim Flam a few years ago during a bout of ill-health.
The medical practitioner, actor, author and playwright created cryptic crosswords and puzzles for the newspaper for nearly 40 years.
Then, from 1999, he added writing Flim Flam poems for the Saturday paper. He finally retired from all contributions in 2015.
He died on Tuesday morning, February 6. He was 90.
He wrote 808 witty, rhyming Flim Flams, covering vastly different topics, from local Waikato issues to the controversial killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe, Auckland traffic and the use (and misuse) of apostrophes. He even assembled 150 of his favourites for a book.
His final Flim Flam reads:
I’ve shuffled off this mortal coil. I hope such tragic news won’t spoil Your breakfast as you read the Times, But no more will you see my rhymes. I so enjoyed my chance to write Those Flim Flams, as I got delight From putting down my thoughts in verse, Though sometimes I might swear and curse As it was hard to find enough Topics that were up to snuff. But now it’s time to say farewell As slowly I drift off to Heaven.
He and his late wife, pioneer broadcaster and author Shirley Maddock, raised three children – Richard, Philip and Elisabeth – in Hamilton.
Between them, Michael had six grandsons.
His elder son, Richard, said his mum and dad had a close marriage. She died in October 2001.
‘‘Dad was enormously close to her. And what we all took away growing up was that he was really proud of what she had done.
‘‘It was very much a modern marriage.’’
Michael famously proposed to Shirley in the car park at what is now Riverlea Theatre, back in the days when it was a dine-anddance venue.
Fittingly, Michael’s memorial service will be held at the Riverlea Theatre in Hamilton, at 2.30pm on Saturday, February 17.
Richard said he couldn’t go anywhere in the Waikato without people recognising his surname.
‘‘Dad’s last name was prominent in the Waikato and a definite part of my growing up.’’
Richard said he, personally, was not very good a cryptic crosswords.
‘‘… only because growing up, I couldn’t find one crossword that hadn’t already been filled in,’’ he said, laughing.
‘‘When I was little, I used to think they came printed that way!’’