A genuine Kiwi bloke with a dry sense of humour who loved hunting and fishing and had an extraordinary talent for flying helicopters.
That was Allan "Tully" Tull, a helicopter pilot who died on August 17 while water bombing a bushfire in Australia, aged 57.
More than 200 people gathered at the Tauranga Sport Fishing Club today to farewell Tull, who was planning a move to Tauranga - closer to his Katikati parents Barbara and Jim - with his fiance when he died.
The Otorohanga-born pilot's ashes arrived at the ceremony in the arms of his son Joseph Tull, in one of four helicopters that ferried close friends and family to the marina.
From inside the club, his boat his boat The Lady Patricia could be seen in its berth.
His helmet was displayed on a table alongside two sets of antlers - trophies from his many deer hunts - family photographs and the New South Wales Rural Fire Service commendation he was awarded posthumously last week in Sydney.
"He died protecting the community," said Bruce McDonald, who flew to New Zealand to represented the fire service at the memorial.
Tull's chopper went down after his helicopter's water bucket became tangled in trees. An investigation was ongoing.
The accident shocked aviation friends who regarded "Tully" as a legend and one of the most experienced pilots around - particularly when it came to bombing fires.
Tull's pilot license took him all over the world for work - Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, China, the United States, Canada, Guam - spanning firefighting, mining, hunting and fishing industries.
Fellow pilot and friend Shamus Howard said he met Tull in Australia in the early 1990s and worked with him for two decades.
Shamus Howard speals at Allan Tull's memorial service in Tauranga. Photo/Andrew Warner
He said Tull always wanted to be the first one on the fire and the last one down at the end of the day, and his talent earned him the respect of his peers.
"There was no-one more revered in the Australian firefighting community than my great mate Allan.
"He had the most amazing abilities. He was an absolute rock star on the fires."
Howard was one of several of Tull's friends and fellow pilots to share stories - some of them fit for print, others best kept between friends - about the good times spent in Tull's quiet company.
More than one described him a "true Kiwi bloke".
Joseph Tull said he would miss his daily "mostly grunting" conversations with his "practical joker" dad.
Sara Shirtcliffe said he was he came into her and her sister's lives as a stepfather but remained "dad" even after splitting with their mum.
Allan Tull was an experienced helicopter pilot. Photo/supplied
Tull's fiance Sheila Ryken shared the story of the first time she met Tull in person five years ago after talking online.
"He pitched up to my flat in Auckland with a begonia plant, some muffins and his gumboots on."
She said they were an unlikely pair - city girl and country boy - but they slotted into each other's world. He took her to a food show, she was his (reluctant - at first) possum spotter.
