Keith Ridings: A much loved father and doctor

Rotorua's Keith Ridings loved and was loved by people everywhere he went.

Dr Ridings, 85, died after he suffered a heart attack on Wednesday morning while sitting outside having a coffee at a Te Ngae Shopping Centre cafe.

His son, Chris, said no matter where he went, everybody knew his father.

"Everyone I meet has a story about dad, whether it's a birth or he was their family doctor. People remember him."

Dr Ridings was well-known in Rotorua for his medical accomplishments.

He studied medicine in Otago from 1948 to 1953 before returning to Rotorua where he was a general practitioner.

From 1986 to 1989, he was medical superintendent-in-chief for the Bay of Plenty Hospital board in Whakatane.

Other roles he held included Department of Health hospitals assistant director, director-general of health in Samoa and Rotorua Hospital medical superintendent.

In the 1996 general election, he stood as the Alliance candidate and came second to National's Max Bradford.

He and wife June had four children, Penny, Chris, Kingsley and Nick, and 11 grandchildren.

Penny said he was respected as an excellent doctor for his medical talents and his rapport with patients.

"He looked after (patients) physically but he also looked after their well-being."

Chris said Dr Ridings' medical colleagues would tell them he had a "special intuition" for knowing what was wrong with people.

Dr Ridings worked part-time as a locum in Rotorua and the Waikato until March this year.

"He did it because he loved it and he loved the people," said Kingsley.

But his children all agreed he was much more than a good doctor.

He was a member of the Food and Wine Society, past president of Rotorua Society of Arts and Rotorua Operatic Society and had also been a professional musician.

June told The Daily Post they met in 1945 in Dunedin when he was playing the violin and she was singing in a local operatic performance.

Kingsley said, while growing up, their home was full of music.

"I remember often dad would play the piano and mum would sing," Kingsley said.

Chris said: "He could pick a tune. Someone would sing something and he had the ability to stick his hands together and play the song."

Penny said Dr Ridings was a great father who never missed family dinners, even when he was working 12 hours a day.

"Sometimes he would have to go back to work after dinner but he never missed it. Family was very important to him."

Dr Ridings had returned from the Coromandel, where he had spent Christmas with Penny, the day before he died.

Penny said it was a "very restful" Christmas.

"The day before dad died, he told me he and mum had been speaking and they concluded they had lived a happy and full life."

Kingsley said it gave the family some closure to know he had enjoyed Christmas before he died.

Dr Ridings' funeral will be held at St Luke's Anglican Church, Amohia St, on Tuesday at 1pm and will be followed by a private service for family and close friends at the Rotorua Crematorium Chapel.