KEY POINTS:
Joshua Cocklin was the "baby" of his family, a much-loved 7-year-old known for his affection for animals.
Since his sudden death last weekend, his grief-stricken family have been struggling with the bewildering question: Why has it happened twice?
Joshua was killed when a four-wheel-drive vehicle in which he was a passenger rolled on the family farm near Whangaruru in Northland.
He had been born after a 2-year-old brother, Daniel, died in a car accident in December 1997.
The first death was two days before Christmas, the second three days after. As the boys' father, Paul Cocklin, told the Northern Advocate: "It's very tough."
Josh is lying in state at the home of his 91-year-old grandmother, Esme Cocklin, in Ngunguru.
A large number of family members - including Paul, his wife, Lucy, and their children, David, 25, Sam, 16, and Ashlee, 12 - and close friends are supporting her.
Relatives are expected to arrive from Australia, Canada and Spain for a funeral service at the Ngunguru Sports Complex at 11.30am on Saturday, which will be followed by a private cremation.
Two years ago, the Cocklins moved from Ngunguru to Canada. They made their home in Smithers, population 6500, in northern British Columbia where Mr Cocklin is a construction manager for a mining company and Joshua attended the Lake Kathlyn School.
Mr Cocklin said the boy was clever, shining in maths, reading and writing.
"He was a thinker," his father said.
But Joshua's special bond with animals was his most distinguishing feature.
"He loved animals, especially dogs. He and our family dog, Jake, were best mates. Wherever Josh went, Jake went too," Mr Cocklin said.
Joshua had adopted stray animals, sat with cows, collected crawling creatures he found in beach sand and taken ants he picked up indoors to safety outside.
"He was a very caring, gentle little boy," Mr Cocklin said.
The Cocklins returned to New Zealand on December 5 for a summer holiday at Whangaruru. They are booked to fly back on January 18, but Mr Cocklin is unsure about what the future holds for his family.
- NORTHERN ADVOCATE