STEPHEN'S
STORY

Stephen or 'Brownie' to many, was born on the 4th of November 1991, the mischievous youngest of five siblings. Stephen had a typical Waikato rural upbringing.  He left home at seventeen to train as a high voltage electrician. Once qualified, he worked on big projects all over the world, including stints in the Ivory Coast, Panama, and Australia.

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He was a generous and adventurous soul who lived an amazing life tripping around the world, living it up and making friends wherever he went. Highlights include the Mongol Rally which saw him and three mates traverse 17,000 kms across 25 countries, and a solo mission in his Landcruiser around Australia. He always seemed happiest when travelling and was always planning the next adventure.

 

He had a tight relationship with his family, particularly his two brothers who he communicated with daily. In 2020 Stephen returned to New Zealand for his brother-in-law’s funeral and due to the restrictions COVID created around international travel, his life of overseas world and travel became difficult which appeared to have a huge impact on him. 

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Stephen had always been a fairly anxious and restless person, but nothing too out of the ordinary or of concern. In the final weeks preceding his passing he recognised he wasn’t in a good place so sought medical advice and was prescribed anti-anxiety medication. He spoke about this with family and friends and seemed to be on top of his mental state with a clear path forward and everything to live for. However, Stephen tragically took his life on 7th June 2021, aged 29.

 

We are months down the track and as family and friends we are still coming to terms with the massive hole Stephen has left in our lives. We can only assume getting out of his usual way of life got on top of him far greater than he ever let on.

 

We just all wish just wish we could have helped him.

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