RIP Jack McFaull
Just got back from the funeral in Kilbirnie of Jack McFaull. Normally when a funeral service takes more than an hour I get restless, but this service went on for two hours with no restlessness from me as there were so many great stories about Jack.
Jack was 87 years old, so one did not have the sadness you have at funerals of younger people, but until his cancer he was so active, that there was sorrow he didn’t manage to make the Rugby World Cup next year.
My relationship with Jack goes back to the early 1990s when we were both volunteers at National Party HQ. Now National is made up of volunteers and exists on the. But the average volunteer puts in just a couple of hours a week into the party. Jack worked 30 to 40 hours a week as a volunteer.
Jack was effectively a full-time unpaid staff member. After he retired from the work force, he spent the best part of a decade working at National HQ as, well a massive data cruncher. He was the resident boundaries expert and served on the Boundaries Commission.Several MPs owe their seats to Jack!
We heard a lot from Jack’s family – he had four daughters and many grand-children. The youngest, aged 10, delivered a lovely tribute without speech notes. Almost all of them told stories of how even at the age of 86 Jack would be found high up his trees, trimming them himself. They all expected his likely cause of death would be falling from a tree.
One of his son in laws who lives in the US spoke about how Jack got him into playing Virtual NPC rugby online, and that he even managed to put perform Jack most years, because Jack could never bring himself to predict that Otago or Wellington would lose!
We also heard about his decades old car, that he drove about everywhere, and how he took someone trying to pass him as a mortal insult, so the passengers often needed a whiskey after he dropped them off.
Jack served in WWII as an ambulance driver in Egypt and Italy, and we heard how a few years ago he navigated his way to a hotel in Rome using his old WWII map.
In his professional career, Jack was a highly respected economist. He held senior positions with then old Wool Board and then served the Dairy Board as its Secretary before he was seconded to be one of the inaugural staff members of the new Prime Ministers Advisory Group (now DPMC) to PM Muldoon.
Jack was the PM’s primary advisor on primary production issues. His colleague John Wood spoke on Jack’s time there, and how Jack’s impish humour even extended to Muldoon. Everyone else was terrified of Muldoon, but Jack would actually be as irreverent to the PM, as he was to everyone else.
Len Bayliss and Mary Hedges spoke about Jack’s contributions to economics.
Chris Finlayson spoke about Jack’s contribution to National, and how he even in the 2008 election, Jack was out delivering pamphlets, including (the rather steep) Severn Street in Island Bay.
Hugh Templeton, and many others spoke also. On top of the ten listed speakers, around half a dozen more spoke up so they could pay tribute. And I think almost everyone listening was thinking the same – that if I could have tributes like this made at my funeral, I would have lived a very good and worthwhile life.
February 4th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
What a wonderful man.
Was Graham Scott there? He also advised Muldoon, then he advised Douglas!!
February 4th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
Thanks for a great post.
Jack sounds like a classic old school New Zealander.
February 4th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
It sounds like a great send off for a man who lived a full and meaningful life including giving generously to NZ’s political development. Thanks for a lovely post David. I’m sure his family appreciate your memorial.
February 4th, 2010 at 5:54 pm
DPF: “must not talk about unemployment, must not talk about unemployment must not talk about unemployment oh look an eagle!”
[DPF: You really are a disgusting human being. I've spent most of the day at a funeral. I guess you think I arranged the death to be the same day as the HLFS stats. Anyway it is hard to gain 100 demerits in one go, but you've done it]
February 4th, 2010 at 6:09 pm
Mr Semmens, you deserve to be banned.
February 4th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
Tom Semmens= TomS?— if so= Piece of shit.
February 4th, 2010 at 7:12 pm
How wonderfull , a highly political party member who was also a well respected public servant. Of course just as many support National as Labour
You would have to ask that being Muldoons advisor on Primary Production whether it was his advice which led to Muldoons disastrous farming policies. Perhaps Muldoon took his own advice on this and other matters
[DPF: You know it doesn't matter how many aliases you adopt, it always becomes quickly clear who you are through the sheer nastiness. In your own way, you are NZ's version of Fred Phelps - well done. And as you were only 20 demerits off your sixth suspension, you've managed to achieve it]
February 4th, 2010 at 7:18 pm
I’ve been in Auckland all week and hadn’t realised he’d died. But it sounds as though the funeral captured the spirit of a remarkable man. I first met him back in the 70s when he was with the Wool Board but he made a significant contribution to a documentary we made two years ago on Ron Brierley with his account of how Muldoon had illegally conspired with Bruce Judge to divert producer Board reserve funds to allow the farmer takeover of Ravensdown Fertiliser. He was a delight to go and spend time with, with his often ribald accounts of political life in this country and the war. He semed like the last of a great generation of New Zealand public servants whose whole view of life had been tempered by their experiences in the depression and during the war. Thanks for the post David.
[DPF: Your comments Richard were mirrored by several at the service. He was a great servant of New Zealand, and a great example of many who served in the war]
February 4th, 2010 at 7:28 pm
Countess = Tom Semmens = piece of shit.
Read the post stupid. Its an obituary. Then take your pathetic political points scoring somewhere else.
February 4th, 2010 at 7:40 pm
Obituary doesnt means only look at the good. And Im being kind. Believe me
February 4th, 2010 at 7:44 pm
Regardless of politics, disrespecting an obituary is pretty fucking low behaviour
February 4th, 2010 at 7:54 pm
Countess and Tom, theres a time and place for most things, but this was’nt the place for advancing your agender.
I feel nothing but pity for you both.
February 4th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
I rescind my earlier comment Countess you are not equal to a piece of shit like TomS, you are lower than a piece of shit.
Are you too stupid to realise reading the post that David had much respect for Jack McFaull and merely wanted to inform others who may have known him of his passing.
I have heard of him but never knew him but I cannot stand by and see a pathetic little creature like you and your sad friend attempt to make a mockery of his death because he happened to have different political views to yourselves.
Grow up and show a little respect.
February 4th, 2010 at 11:25 pm
Nice post DPF.
Sounds like a great example for those who aspire to public service.
February 4th, 2010 at 11:29 pm
Thanks for this, David.
February 5th, 2010 at 5:07 am
I truly can say I have never been to such an inspirational funeral. The 2 hours spent in Kilbirnie outdid any history lesson I ever have attended on NZ Politics. What I found fascinating was that the service covered everything from WW1, the depression, his active service in Italy in WW2, the building of his own house, putting himself through night school to gain his degree, becoming a Captain in the Territorials, his work with the establishment of DPMC as a think tank, his volunteer work and his love for rugby. Then to face his cancer in a matter of fact way and his only regret being he was taking so many memories and all of his knowledge to the grave. All I can say is that Hugh Templeton and Ian McLean summed it up best saying he was a great New Zealander!
February 5th, 2010 at 10:21 am
He was a great man.
This was clear on so many fronts – as a family man, as a loyal friend and colleague and as a contributor to NZ through his military and public service.
DPF summed it up: “if I could have tributes like this made at my funeral, I would have lived a very good and worthwhile life”.
On top of that he was quiet and unassuming with a razor-sharp wit.
As was said a number of times at the funeral, Jack was a “really good bloke”.
February 5th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
Jack was a wonderful man. I worked with him when he was in the Dairy Board and in Muldoon’s office. He was unfailingly a gentleman and a strong thinker. An erudite and humorous person. I shall never forget flying to Singapore with him when he was on his way to Bahrain – we shared a number of libations. I staggered off to the Holiday Inn; Jack went to buy a suit. I understand he was never permitted to wear that suit!
I wish I could have been in Wellington to attend Jack’s memorial. Two hours sounds like a short service to talk about Jack’s achievements.
Jack, you did us proud!
ron h
February 6th, 2010 at 1:31 pm
It was lovely reading the short tribute to Jack- I met him at Great Uncle Tom’s funeral he was a really lovely man who lived life to the full. Not surprising that travelling to places out the way and not very safe that his attitude was if something happened he had lead a full life!