Final farewell for top Hawke's Bay detective Rick Graham

The last ride for former top Hastings Detective Rick Graham, at the right the 1926 Ford Model he restored, in the distance his classic S-Type Jaguar. Photo / Doug Laing.

Dozens of mainly-retired police officers were among a large crowd at Thursday's funeral for former Hawke's Bay detective Rick Graham.

Serving for many years as a Detective Sergeant, preferring not to chase to the command rank of Detective Senior Sergeant, he received the Queen's Service Medal (QSM) in 1997 for service to the New Zealand Police, four years before retiring and starting a new career as a diving instructor.

Battling cancer in his final year, he died on Boxing Day, aged 74, and his service was held at the Napier War Memorial Conference Centre, which was packed to capacity with others watching via CCTV from another room.

His police career spanned 36 years, from signing-up as a cadet after leaving Te Awamutu College at17 to after his last major homicide inquiry, surrounding the death of Wellington jogger Margaret Baxter while holidaying in Hawke's Bay in 2001.

That crime was not mentioned during a two-hour service, but it came after a tough two years – the single major inquiry of his career referred to in the service being in how he handled the investigation two years earlier into the death of pre-schooler James Whakaruru, killed by the boy's mother's boyfriend in 1999.

Rick Graham near the end of his police career, addressing a media conference during the Margaret Baxter homicide inquiry in early 1991. Photo / File

Former Hastings CIB boss and Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Wilkinson, having reflected that some of the homicides "had an effect on us", said: "He was easily the best detective I worked with, and learnt from."

The man's speciality as a detective was his "network of spies around Hawke's Bay" often leaving colleagues wondering how he had managed to get the required information so quickly.

Other speakers included brother Colin Graham, who retired after 48 years' service, and son Andrew Graham, currently a sergeant in Hawke's Bay, but the talk was mainly about family and interests outside the service of the police, for which he was known as a tough but fair operator.

The other speakers in a service conducted by Eastern Police District chaplain Rev Heather Flavell were Hamilton man Hub Hall, who was at school with Rick Graham, and Napier man John Thirkell, a friend for the past two decades through their common interest in classic and vintage cars. Elder brother Tony also stepped forward to introduce the grandchildren.

One of three sons of Don and Esther Graham, Rick was born a year after his father returned from World War II service in Egypt, and grew up in the southern outskirts of Te Awamutu, towards Kihikihi, where he learned some of the fishing and hunting skills which were to be prominent throughout his life.

He retained a proud heritage from Waikato iwi Ngati Hikairo, from around Kawhia, where the family had a bach.

Having joined the police at the old police training college at the Trentham Barracks, he was in Auckland when he met eventual wife, Sue (nee Wales). They moved to Hawke's Bay and had three sons.

While often seen driving his favourite "vee dub" (Volkswagen) back in the day, he had a passion for classic and vintage cars, restoring a 1926 Ford Model T, and treasuring an S-Type Jaguar, both of which were parked on the forecourt outside the funeral service.

Among the numerous police officers in attendance was former Hastings CIB boss and current Tairawhiti Gisborne area commander Inspector Sam Aberahama, awarded a QSM for police service in the latest honours list.