Leading from the front issuu

MARIE’S CAREER
TAKES OFF
While Pat was establishing himself, it was Marie’s turn next
to step out into the world. After leaving school and inspired
by Jessie, she also trained as a nurse, enrolling at Napier
Hospital. She was passionate and talented in her chosen
career and in 1954 also topped her class, picking up the
Florence Nightingale Award just a few years after Catherine.
Then, late one evening in 1956, working night shift at
the hospital, Sister Magill met her future husband, sixth
year trainee doctor, David Gray. Following a three month
courtship and a meeting of hearts, minds and souls, these
young medical talents married that same year. They were
both keen to carry out missionary work and three years
later left New Zealand to take up roles at Immanuel Hospital
in Bandung, Java, as surgeon and tutor sister. By now
they had two babies on board, and Jessie joined the group
as vital family support.
GRAYS HEAD HOME
SIBLINGS CONNECT IN INDONESIA
Pat first visited the Grays in Bandung in the early 1960s.
Impressed with their work and aware of the undeniable
challenges at the hospital, he worked diligently with the
Napier Lion’s Club to help raise funds for the renovation
of two nurses’ hostels, which were completed to Napier
architect Barry Sweet’s designs.
Pat loved Indonesia — the people, culture, food and
occasional clove cigarette and made several more visits
back there. In 1968 he took his eldest daughter Jan,
who stayed on with the Grays for six months. She observed
hospital life, helped out with the children and
even assisted the family’s recovery from Dengue fever.
Inspired by the long line of familial nurses before her on
both sides of the family, Jan became one herself after
completing training in Brisbane, and Pat and Catherine’s
second daughter Mary-Anne also trained as a nurse.
Then in 1975 Pat introduced Catherine and the rest of
the kids to this enticing tropical paradise for a month.
They explored Java from Jakarta in the north and down
through the island before heading over to Bali for a few
days on their way home. Pat started another business
too, back in Napier with son John called the Batik &
Asian Trading Company. They imported and sold Indonesian
clothing, homewares and accessories. With its
laid back vibe, cool music and aroma of incense wafting
through, the store was a mecca for those in town keen to
experience something more exotic than anything else on
offer at the time. It was fun while it lasted!
Working at Immanuel Hospital for 12 challenging and
exhilarating years, Marie and David made an undeniable
contribution there. They are still praised for the work and
progress made during their posting, in what was to become
a life defining experience for the entire family. They
were also blessed with four more daughters — productive
times indeed!
Keen to give the girls a New Zealand education, the
Grays returned to Auckland in 1971 and with family connections
on the North Shore they set up their new life in
Torbay. David ran a general practice there for 17 years,
with Marie assisting and supervising the practice nurses
until David’s retirement in 1988.
There has been nothing sedate about this couple’s retirement.
Theirs has been a precious opportunity for the
couple to focus more on their passions, talents and community
work. Over the years Marie has written seven
books, including the bestseller Irish in the Blood, based
on the family’s journey from Ireland to New Zealand and
the challenging years that followed. David, a keen sailor
— along with everyone else in the family — helped develop
MERC, the Sir Peter Blake Marine Education and
Recreation Centre at Long Bay. The couple are active
campaigners against rampant development and pollution
that threatens significant local coastline and habitats.
Also a talented artist, David published his memoir
recently, Write it Down Why Don’t You. It features many
of his own paintings and illustrations, while chronicling
his life and times through his fascinating, and valued
achievements.
Pat and Marie create their own worlds 27