No place too far away for cricket stalwart

Brian Cooper was famous in his family for driving  long distances for a good cause.
He and wife Nancy would turn up   in his campervan  anywhere in the North Island to support  family members playing cricket, hockey, riding horses, sailing or for any other reason - more often than not completely unannounced.
His lifelong love of cricket played  comfortable second fiddle to spending time with his family. He  happily played reserve grade for Onerahi-Central - the club  that made him a life member in the 1990s - because he  liked the low-key nature of the game and it gave him more time  with his family.
When his children started playing cricket his devotion to the sport grew. He will always be remembered at Northland Cricket for driving  to Gisborne to have a look at  new covers there, so he could make  an even better version for  Whangarei's original Cobham Oval - at his own expense.
Born in Waiuku  in 1933, Brian grew up on the family farm in Broadwood. He finished his school years  at Whangarei Boys High School before leaving school to work on his uncle's farm.
He moved back to Whangarei to become an engineer for Tapper Engineering and later Busck Concrete, before becoming a watersider, so he could travel to help  his dad and brother on the family farm at the weekends.
He married Nancy Burke in 1955 and became known as "Tiger", a term particularly well used by his grandchildren. He  preferred the company of family and close friends to official cricket functions.
Brian died at Whangarei Hospital on Wednesday after a short illness and is survived by Nancy,  three children, and seven grandchildren.
His funeral will be held at Morris and Morris  in Whangarei at 11am on Monday.