who sought only to ‘serve our people’
Mourners are gathering at a marae south of Takapau for the tangi of Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi board member and recent former deputy chairman John Barry (J.B.) Heperi-Smith, who died on Friday, aged 58.
He was on Saturday afternoon being taken to Rakautatahi, beside State Highway 2, where his funeral service will be held on Tuesday, starting at 11am.
Heperi-Smith was in his fourth term on the board, serving 10 years after having been first elected in 2013 as representative of the Tamatea rohe (Central Hawke’s Bay). In 2017 he became deputy chairman after the passing of Wairoa delegate Rill Meihana.
He was re-elected to the deputy position at the incoming of new chairman Bayden Barber last year but stood down recently.
Link to article: The life of JB Heperi-Smith - a man who sought only to ‘serve our people’ - NZ Herald
