Christchurch earthquake: Hundreds farewell gregarious CTV personality

Jo Giles. Photo / APN

Joanne Giles was a larger-than-life personality, and yesterday hundreds of people turned up to the Riccarton racecourse to farewell the gregarious "Jane of all trades".

Many people knew Giles as a TV presenter with CTV, one of the dozens of people killed in the building when it collapsed on February 22.

But those attending her funeral also learned she was a former jockey, Commonwealth games pistol shooter, speedway driver and a Christchurch mayoral candidate.

At the funeral yesterday was her beloved stock car, along with Ferraris, lined up next to the hearse as ABBA's Dancing Queen played in the Showgate lounge.

The Rev Julie-Anne Jones said her funeral was not to mourn the loss, but to celebrate the life that she had lived to 150 per cent.

She knew Giles from when they worked together at More FM.

Marquees were set up outside the lounge for the service but were not big enough to cover everybody from the continual rain.

"I know you wouldn't want to make a fuss. But the family wouldn't let you get away without a decent send off," the Rev Jones said.

"She managed to fit into her shortened life more than most could do in two."

Family members told mourners that Giles was 45, but she was in fact 60 years old.

More than 15 people spoke at the service, among them CTV colleague Peter Brown.

"I thank Jo for being a part of CTV. Jo did everything 150 per cent," he said.

Her mother, Joan, said Giles had always been a "worry" since she was little.

She recalled how she had escaped the property on her trike when she was little. It was only seconds until her mother had noticed but she had already zoomed away.

Giles had ditched her trike at the river bed to throw daisies into the river. But for quite some time her mother panicked as all she could find was the trike.

"She always did what she wanted to do. I've really had a very worrying life with Joanne," she said.

"She was always wanting to be the best, and she was the best."

Giles' brother Hamish said his biggest regret was not telling his sister how much he admired her achievements.

The crowd watched a video of Giles cantering around on a horse to the Crusaders' theme for a TV programme in 1998. It brought tears to many.

Giles' four children Olivia, Samantha, Anna and James spoke of their mother as a huge role model.

"Mum was everything a mother should be. Caring, cuddly, fun and silly. She embarrassed you when she got you from school, and was never on time," her daughters said.

Her children recalled their "foreign Wednesdays" when Giles would bring a car load of strangers from the local backpackers home for dinner.

"I don't feel ready to have lost my mum," one of her daughters said.

"My children will never get to meet their grandma," James said.

She was one of the first female jockeys, but that is only one of many feats.

She also represented New Zealand in the 1997 Oceania Championships in Adelaide, and the 2000 World Cup in Sydney as a pistol shooter.

She was an avid horse rider and speedway driver, a mayoral candidate in the 2007 local body election and was the popular face of Shopping with Jo on CTV.

City councillor Aaron Kweon said he was sure she would have made mayor one day.

Giles had also worked as a hairdresser, office worker, psychopaedic nurse, training officer for teaching intellectually disabled, a dairy owner, prison officer, saleswoman, and radio announcer.