Ron Francis tribute
A tribute to the late Ron Francis from his son. Richard Francis.
Ron Francis 1931-2020
Ron Francis was a citizen of Lower Hutt for 60 years and was one of the most engaged and positive people in our community, mixing a strong sense of service and unshakeable faith with big ideas and a focus on “getting stuff done”.
Having survived multiple heart attacks, Ron passed away on October 25, at Hutt Hospital, aged 89.
Ron was the inspiration and administrative heft behind multiple Shapeshifter International Festival of the Arts fundraising events (raising over $300,000 for local Hutt charities) and a powerhouse for the Agape Budgeting Service (supporting over 3,000 local families to budget and access low interest loans for 30+ years), which he served for 13 years. In recent years Ron was a trustee and treasurer of the Hutt Valley Heart Trust for 15 years (raising funds in support of the Coronary Care Unit team and facilities at Hutt Hospital, as well as for cardiac event survivors in the Hutt).
His community efforts were recognised by the Mayor with a Civic Contribution Award in 2017. As a Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Club of Hutt, and foundation and life member of the Waterloo Probus Club, Ron’s many decades of service were also recognised by his peers.
Ron was an active member of the Lower Hutt Baptist Church for 60 years, which he attended with his wife Noeline.
Ron’s career encompassed 50 years as a Chartered Accountant that saw him found his own firm, Partner at a large firm and then act for many years as General Manager at Aroha Care Centre and Hospital, where he was presented with a Business Innovation Award by then Prime Minister, Jim Bolger.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Best way to use leftovers?
I'm sure you've got some excess ham at home or cold roast potatoes.
What are some of your favourite ways to use leftover food from Christmas day? Share below.
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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62.4% Summer
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36.1% Winter
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1.5% Other - I'll share below
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