Kaitāia accountant Stewart Russell, with wife Sarah and their children, was a family man who was firmly behind the Far North community.
Kaitāia accountant Stewart Russell, with wife Sarah and their children, was a family man who was firmly behind the Far North community.
OBITUARY
Stewart Scott Russell 22/3/72 – 27/1/24
Family Man. Business Man, Community Man. Stewart was born “next to the football ground” (Vicarage Road) in Watford, England, and football played a big part in his life, as all those who knew him would know.
His dad was an electrician for the council; his mum worked in a betting shop. He was proud of his roots.
He left school at 18 and went straight into accountancy. He qualified as a chartered accountant and went on to be the youngest partner of the same large firm, then known as Horwath Clark Whitehill.
It was in the London office where he met his wife, Sarah, and they moved together to Gloucester in the west of England, marrying in 2005 and having Eloise 11 months later and Caitlin 15 months after that.
Their wedding is still spoken of, attended by 300 friends and family in an old coaching inn with fireworks and dodgems.
Stewart always loved to party but, moreover, loved to see others party. The passing of Sarah’s mum in 2007 unsettled life somewhat but Stewart would always say that things happen for a reason. They used the bit of money from her estate to attend a friend’s wedding in Auckland in January 2009, with their girls then aged 2 and 1.
Kaitāia accountant Stewart Russell, from PKF Far North, has been remembered for his compassion, kindness, honesty, intellect, humour, non-judgmental and open-minded personality.
They had a few days in the Bay of Islands and imagined what it would be like to raise kids there. A speculative CV to the Horwath (later PKF) office in Paihia resulted in a response – “… we don’t have anything but our sister office in Kaitāia does” – and the family was out here by October 2009, living in Cable Bay and, later, Mangonui.
Kaitāia was not his first choice of location but it turned out to suit him down to the ground. The laid-back lifestyle (swiftly losing the shirt and tie) and smaller office allowed him direct access to people – he was foremost a people person. Within nine months of being in New Zealand, Stewart and Sarah experienced the Far North “something in the water”, so it seemed – Sarah fell pregnant with twins. Samuel and Thomas were born in April 2011.
Twins seemed to be a common “affliction” in the Far North and Stewart and a few fellow twin-dads quickly established an annual cricket away trip, frequently extending to a week or beyond, to “help them cope with the pressures”.
Stewart and Sarah swiftly threw themselves into almost every event/organisation and, ultimately, committee going, generally in that much sought-after “treasurer” role. Awanui Playcentre, Doubtless Bay Playgroup, Doubtless Bay Kindergarten, Coopers Beach Bowling Club, Doubtless Bay Tennis Club, Whangaroa Golf Club, Kaitāia Business Association to name but a few, plus numerous charities and clubs for whom he simply helped out.
Doubtless Bay Promotions was a key role of his – being treasurer but so much more and helping establish and maintain the Mangonui Waterfront Festival “Last of the Summer Wine”, plus the Doubtless Bay Information Centre. Stewart also joined the board and quickly became chair of Mangonui Primary School, a role which he maintained throughout his four children’s attendance there.
Kaitāia accountant Stewart Russell, who passed away last month, has left huge shoes to fill - or big boots when it comes to his support of football - in the Far North community.
But his love of football really played out in his involvement with Kaitāia United Football Club.
Stewart virtually single-handedly managed the Eastern side of the youth division of the club in recent years. From “first-kicks” to the under-16s, his passion for the game and for the kids learning to love it too was limitless.
In a recent meeting of club parents, nominations were being sought for seven separate roles to fill the void of Stewart’s involvement.
Furthermore, the last couple of years have seen Stewart’s increased input into the Kaitāia United Women’s football team, for which both his daughters play, much to his pride. Stewart loved being an accountant and loved PKF Far North and being part of the PKF New Zealand network.
His passion was to help businesses succeed. It didn’t matter to him if you were a big organisation or a small sole trader: everyone was treated equally. Stewart was respected by the team and clients for his quick mind and great memory: he could always think of a solution to a problem; he was always up for a chat and interested in what clients and the team were up to.
Stewart was more than just a boss or workmate. He helped foster the family-oriented culture at PKF Far North with many memories of great social occasions enjoyed together. To honour Stewart, the PKF team is determined to ensure that all his clients are looked after and is thankful for the ongoing support from the bigger PKF NZ family. He will be sadly missed by the team, particularly his fellow directors Dale and Ayla, his many clients and work associates.
Stewart’s funeral took place in Coopers Beach on January 31. It was attended by about 400-500 people, with cars extending well beyond the car park and along both sides of the state highway.
On top of this, 120 joined the livestream of the service, many from the UK.
Tributes to Stewart included the words compassion, kindness, honesty, intellect, humour, non-judgmental, open-minded, a massive friend to all and “the most un-accountant of accountants you could ever wish to meet”. Many recalled his regular parting line of “Happy days”.
Stewart Russell leaves some very big shoes to be filled in the Kaitāia and Doubtless Bay communities, and in his loving family.
