North Canterbury News: January 25, 2024

4 The
NEWS
North Canterbury News, January 25, 2024
AWaimakariri stalwart’slife celebrated
BySHELLEY TOPP
The life of ahighly regarded member of
the Waimakariri community has been
celebrated at ahuge memorial service
at White Rock.
The service for Pam Mackintosh, who
died aged 88 on December20lastyear
after ashort illness, was held on
January 13 at White Rock Mains,a
sheep, beef and dairy supportproperty
which has been owned by the
Mackintosh family since 1909.
It is now farmed by Pam’s youngest
sonDuncan and his wife Tina, who own
the property in partnership with one of
Duncan’s brothers, Neil, and his wife
Kathryn.
The service for Pam opened with
Kirwee bagpiper Ben Simpson playing
Amazing Grace and closed with Flower
of Scotland, Scotland The Brave and
When the Battle is Over.
One of Pam’s six sons, Ewen, was MC
for the service, which was held on the
large front lawn outside the White Rock
Mains homestead.
Ewen said his mother ‘‘would want us
to miss her, and Idomiss her, terribly’’.
Pam was astrong­minded,
independent­thinking woman whowas
‘‘a lioness when she needed to be’’,
Ewen said.
She witnessed the formation of the
women’s liberation movement during
the late 1960’s, but heaven help anyone
who might have thought it was agood
idea to tell Pam, or any of her wide
circle of women friends, that they
neededliberating.
Other speakers at the service
included ‘‘the rock of the family’’, Pam’s
oldest son Bill, Tina, Hayley
McGoldrick one of Pam’s 18
grandchildren,‘‘Aunty Elspeth’’ one of
Pam’s sister­in­law’s, close family
friend Matt Riley, and ScotsmanGary
Mackintosh who travelled from
Scotland for the service.
Tina said Pam was ‘‘the Queen of
White Rock, whose arms were always
wide open to welcome you.’’
Her death ‘‘has left ahole in our
hearts forever,but still beating with
love for her’’.
One relative, and close friend, who
was unable to attend the service for
Pam was Ann Jelfs, of Rangiora.
Ann and Pam’s grandmothers were
sisters,but it wasn’t until they worked
together as volunteers at the Rangiora
Museum that they got to know each
other well.
Pam became an archivist at the
museum around 1983, Ann says.
She was also secretary for atime and
continued her work there up until her
death.
‘‘She loved research, particularly
local families and local history.
‘‘Because she was borninRangiora,
she knew nearly everybody from those
early days or how to trace where they
came from and who to contact for
further information,’’ Ann says.
Pam alsoenjoyed playing golf, horse
riding when she was younger, and being
part of the White Rock/Loburn/
Rangiora community.
She was also akeen genealogist and
did many trips overseas researching
the Mackintosh family history.
In recent years she lived in Rangiora
but before that Pam and her husband
Alistair Mackintosh farmed at White
Rock Mains, until Alistair’s death in
2011.
Rangiora Museum president John
Biggs,who was also aspeaker at the
memorial service, said Pam’s death
would leave abig gap in the ranks of
thosemuseum members who have
personal knowledge of past events and
people.
Close bond ... Pam Mackintosh, who died in December, with her husband Alistair who
died in 2011.
PHOTO: SUPPLIED
‘‘As well as being archivist, Pam kept
up contact with other museums and
similar organisations in North
Canterbury, and further afield,’’ he
said.
‘‘She was an interesting person to
know, and Iamgrateful to have known
her for nearly five years.’’
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