A Givealittle page has been set up to help Kelly Kemble Kerr’s partner and family following the deadly blaze. It’s hoped that money raised can be used to bring Kemble Kerr and her son, 11-year-old Kelly Kerr, home to Northland for their tangihanga.
Kelly Kemble Kerr and her son Kelly Kerr died earlier this week.
The pair’s bodies were found on Thursday morning in their burned-out home at Manapōuri, 22km south of Te Anau.
Lisa Hoeta, who set up the Givealittle page, said she had been best friends with Kemble Kerr for 32 years.
Her last messages from Kemble Kerr had been full of love and pride for her children and grandchildren, including Kelly jnr, a “highly intelligent” boy who had just started making money off his YouTube account.
“She just loved her children so much.”
Hoeta said Kemble Kerr loved clothing, fashion, her Dr Martens, and was a “studious lady”. She was in her second year of a degree in humanities and had hoped to move to New Caledonia for humanitarian work in the future.
Hoeta spoke of Kemble Kerr’s sense of humour, saying she was “the funniest person I had ever met”.
“She was tough, but loving... she was the type of person who invited anybody into her home. She was just an amazing person.”
She had recently been suffering from serious health issues, including heart problems and a broken leg that had not been healing properly.
Kelly Anne Kemble Kerr and her son Kelly Kerr died in a house fire in Manapōuri.
Hoeta said Kemble Kerr had been full of praise for her partner, Jason Hoggard.
“I just remember her telling me that he had taken care of her with her heart condition and her broken leg... she just praised him on a regular basis, how much he took care of her.”
Kemble Kerr would fondly refer to her partner as “my guy”, Hoeta said.
While Hoeta considered Kemble Kerr her best friend, she said Kemble Kerr was “a lot of people’s best mate”.
“She was just that person... she’s going to be a tragic loss to a lot of people, not just me.
“She wasn’t just my friend, she was my sister.”
The mother and son's bodies were found following the house fire earlier this week.
Funds from the Givealittle will help with costs for bringing their bodies home for the tangi, but will also support Hoggard, whose home and possessions were destroyed in the fire.
The money will also support Kemble Kerr’s surviving tamariki and mokopuna in their time of need, Hoeta said.
Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.
