Dawn Picken’s life to be celebrated in Mount Maunganui beachside service

Columnist, author, athlete, and mum Dawn Picken, pictured in 2019. Photo / Andrew Warner

The life of Bay of Plenty writer, athlete and mother Dawn Picken will be fondly remembered in a beachside service four months after her death today.

Dawn, a 52-year-old author, marathon runner, Bay of Plenty Times Weekend and Rotorua Daily Post Weekend writer and columnist, Toi Ohomai tutor and former television journalist, lost her battle with a rare liver disease on December 26.

Dawn was well-known and well-loved in the Bay of Plenty, with some friends creating their own memorial service, of sorts, by climbing Mauao at dawn in the days after her death.

Today from 1pm, Dawn’s family and friends will hold a formal public service at Mount Maunganui Surf Club.

Daughter Fiona Stanelun said in the months following her mother’s passing, “people were always wondering whether something was happening”.

“I think this will be good for them,” Fiona said.

“My mum always said that with funerals, she didn’t want to rush into them. It didn’t need to be done so quickly.”

In addition to the many different roles Dawn played, she was also a board member for Tauranga Grief Support Services.

Fiona said now time and some initial shock and grief had passed, the service could be more focused on being a celebration of life.

In October, Dawn’s health began to deteriorate, and she was first admitted to Tauranga Hospital after showing signs of internal bleeding. She was later discharged, but was re-admitted on November 8 after her condition worsened.

A scan appeared to show a liver lobe had infarcted/died and there was a large portal vein clot, meaning she was not suitable for a liver transplant. Doctors suggested Dawn was approaching the end of her life.

Dawn Picken with daughter Fiona on one of her last days out at Mount Maunganui.

Dawn’s deteriorating health was a shock to many who knew her. She launched her book Love, Loss and Lifelines: My Year of Grief on the Run on November 3.

Dawn, with help from friends, documented her deteriorating health online via the website CaringBridge and shared her story with the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend and Rotorua Daily Post Weekend. The former television journalist had publicly shared her grief journey following losing her late husband Sean Stanelun after 10 years of marriage, via blogs and columns and, most recently, in her book. He died unexpectedly in 2010. Fiona and her brother Finley were aged five and three at the time.

After Dawn’s initial story was published on December 3, a liver specialist reviewed Dawn’s scans and got in touch three days later, wanting to assess whether a transplant was possible.

However, on December 20, specialists found cancerous tumours and the spots in her lungs, the blood clotting and what looked like areas within her spleen and liver that had died were all related to invasive cancer cholangiocarcinoma.

It meant Dawn’s liver could not handle any cancer treatment.

She returned to Waipuna Hospice, where “comfort measures” were made and she was supported by friends and family. She died on Boxing Day.

A Givealittle fund was set up to help support Dawn and particularly her children. Dawn’s last wishes were to ensure Fiona and Finn were taken care of, especially regarding their studies.

More than $42,600 has been donated.