Napier man Jim Morunga, who ignored the adversities of blindness to lead a trailblazing life of social challenges which in 2013 won him the New Zealander of the Year Local Community Hero Award in 2013, died early yesterday, aged 67.
A significant tribute came yesterday from Hawke's Bay's longest-serving local body politician, former Napier mayor and Hawke's Bay Regional Council chairman Alan Dick, who told Hawke's Bay Today it was Mr Morunga who inspired him to become involved in community issues and the career he's had at council tables since 1983.
Mr Dick said it started in the late 1970s when he answered an advertisement seeking a secretary-treasurer for the Jay-Em Trust, established by Mr Morunga and which became a ground-breaking trust of nationwide significance developing employment and other prospects for young people struggling to make their way in the world, particularly young Maori.
"It produced results that have been very difficult to surpass," said Mr Dick, who this week visited the ailing Mr Morunga with city and regional councillor Dave Pipe.
"What a wonderful guy he has been, dealing with that disability to carry on for a whole life just doing his absolute best to see that young people, particularly young Maori, got the best opportunity to achieve in life."