VALE TONY VERDON:

Former DRIVEN editor passes away

Everybody at DRIVEN was saddened to learn of the death of former editor Tony Verdon last week. Verdon was found in the water at the southern end of Ocean Beach, Wha¯nga¯rei Heads, on March 25 and could not be revived. He was 67.

He edited DRIVEN from 2014-19, guiding the publication through a time of great editorial and business change. It was the final role in a long and extremely varied career that included stints on Parliament’s press gallery, as a London press correspondent and as the New Zealand Herald’s editorial manager.

He had strong ties to Northland. In 2002 Verdon was appointed editor of the Northern Advocate and three years later became the general manager of what was then Northern Publishing, home of the Advocate and the Northland Age. He held that role until 2009.

Verdon was a private person who loved the solitude of living at Parua Bay, Wha¯nga¯rei Heads, and continued to do so even in his role at DRIVEN, living in central Auckland during the week and travelling home for the weekends.

His time at the country’s top car publication also gave him a taste for the finer things in the car world. To celebrate his retirement in 2019, he purchased a new BMW 3 Series, which he thought was the perfect machine to clock up motorway miles visiting friends in Auckland, but also enjoy the quieter roads around his home.

Verdon is survived by a twin brother in the UK and a brother in Auckland.

DRIVEN extends its deepest sympathies to Tony’s family and friends.