Christchurch earthquake: Labour of love for a dead boss

Brother Tony Wright, left, with Owen Johnston, Helen Leslie, Aaron Lamport, Luke Rhind, Evan McLauchlan, Dave Phillips and Denis Cations, making a coffin for earthquake victim Owen Wright. Photo / NZPA

A labour of love is taking shape inside Joinery by Design in Woolston as the employees of Christchurch earthquake victim Owen Wright craft his coffin from the timbers he loved to turn.

The grieving process is also a constructive one for the 40-year-old's business partners, designers, workers, the apprentice and particularly his elder brother Tony.

Through eyes blurred by tears, Tony, a mathematics teacher, used his sibling's bandsaw to produce the casket's handles from totara - each one bears a message from a mate or loved one, scrawled before it is screwed on to macrocarpa Owen had hoarded after constructing his family home in Lyttelton nine years ago.

After surviving the initial jolt last Tuesday, Owen endeavoured to cross the Port Hills, reach the property and reunite with wife Megan and their children - six-year-old Sarah and Eric, who turned four on Sunday.

Typical of the selfless acts taking place throughout the city that afternoon, Owen ferried strangers to the top of the Bridle Path in his vehicle before continuing on foot along Major Hornbrook track where, at some point, he was crushed by rocks unsettled an aftershock.

Friends, family and his staff returned to the workshop yesterday where Mrs Wright broached the subject of those men assembling an appropriate tribute to her husband.

"Megan asked if we would be able to do it," business partner Evan McLauchlan told NZPA.

"We didn't know whether the guys were in a good enough space to actually be here but the support from family and friends has been amazing."

Owen's other brother Emlyn, a woodwork teacher, drew up the plans while, fortunately, one of the nine staff was previously employed in a joinery business that specialised in coffins.

"It's all just come together, everyone's had a little part to play here and there," Mr McLauchlan said.

With tentative plans to bury Owen next Monday his resting place has been built with the necessary care and attention to detail.

"It's not like there's been 10 guys working 12 hours to get it done," Mr McLauchan said.

"You've had five chatting and five working, reminiscing."

Owen, he said, would have appreciated the gesture as Luke Rhind and Denis Cations manoeuvred a support rail hewn from manuka into position.

"He would be here doing the same thing for anyone else in the entire family, anyone involved in our business," Mr McLauchlan said.

"He would be down here getting this running. We probably would have had it finished a couple of hours ago."

Owen established his business soon after leaving Mairehau High School part way through the sixth form 19 years and although kitchens, staircases and window frames were his stock trade, sadly his coffin is not the first off the company's production line.

"Quite a few years ago Owen built a coffin for an auntie of ours," Mr McLauchlan said.

"It was plain pine, it's all they wanted so they could all sign it."

Once Owen's casket is coated with varnish, Christchurch sculptor Llew Summer will apply the finishing touch by carving Owen's name in a lump of kauri salvaged from his childhood home in suburban St Albans.

- NZPA