Whatarangi Winiata dead at age 92, founder of Te Wānanga o Raukawa
founder of Te Wānanga o Raukawa · New Zealand · Britain · 03 June 2026 · June 2026 · Cancer · June 3
Deaths from New Zealand
Sidney Moko Mead dead at age 99, New Zealand Māori anthropologist and historian
a New Zealand Māori anthropologist and historian, died on May 29, 2026. He was 99. Born in Wairoa on January 8, 1927, Mead was also known as Sir Sidney Hirini Moko Haerewa Mead and by the shorter name Sid Mead.… · Australia · 29 May 2026 · Capricorn · May 2026
Yoshiharu Yamaguchi dead at age 83, stroke
the Japanese rugby union player who represented his national team, died on May 29, 2026, at the age of 83. Born on February 15, 1943, in Mihama, Fukui, he made his Japan debut against a touring New Zealand Universities team… · 29 May 2026 · Aquarius · May 2026 · Stroke
Dame Jools Topp dead at age 68, New Zealand musician and comedian, breast cancer
the New Zealand musician and comedian known as one half of the Topp Twins, died on May 23, 2026, aged 68. A performer active from 1975 to 2026, she built a long career with her twin sister Lynda as part… · 23 May 2026 · May 2026 · Cancer · Cancer
Bob Andrews dead at age 90, public figure
the English-New Zealand motorcycle speedway rider who competed for Wimbledon Dons, Cradley Heathens and the New Zealand national team, died on May 22, 2026, aged 90. Born in Edmonton, London, on October 27, 1935, Andrews was capped 21 times by… · Britain · 22 May 2026 · May 2026 · Scorpio
Tamati Reedy dead at age 89, New Zealand Māori academic, rugby union player, and public servant
a New Zealand Māori academic, rugby union player and public servant, died on May 21, 2026. Born in Ruatoria in 1936, he served as secretary of the Department of Maori Affairs from 1983 to 1989, and was involved in the… · 21 May 2026 · May 2026 · Cancer
Arthur Lewis dead at age 84, public figure
a Welsh rugby union player and electrician, died on May 20, 2026, aged 84. Born Arthur John Llewellyn Lewis in Crumlin, Caerphilly, Wales, on September 26, 1941, he played international rugby for Wales and toured New Zealand with the British… · Ireland · 20 May 2026 · May 2026 · Libra
Alan Morton dead at age 91, Australian rugby union player
an Australian rugby union player and leading sport scientist, died on May 15, 2026, aged 91. Born in Queanbeyan, New South Wales, on September 10, 1934, he attended Canberra High School. A winger, Morton was the top try scorer in… · New Zealand · 15 May 2026 · May 2026 · Virgo
Kenneth Keith dead at age 88, New Zealand jurist and legal scholar, judge of the International Cour…
a New Zealand jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge of the International Court of Justice from 2006 to 2015, died on May 13, 2026, at the age of 88. Born in Auckland on 19 November 1937, he… · 13 May 2026 · May 2026 · Scorpio
Mark Smythe dead, 53 New Zealand-born American composer, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
2026, at the age of 53 from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. He was a New Zealand-born American composer known for Daddy's Little Girl, Unfallen, and The Reef: Stalked · Australia · 09 May 2026 · May 2026 · Cancer · May 9
Geoff Stedman New Zealand physicist, Hector Medal, Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand dead…
a New Zealand physicist, died on May 3, 2026, aged 83. He was known for his work on ring lasers and had research interests including the foundations of relativity and symmetry in quantum mechanics. Stedman received the Hector Medal in… · 03 May 2026 · May 2026
Carla Van Zon dead at age 74, Artistic director
a New Zealand artistic director, died on April 29, 2026, aged 74. Born Carla Marja Olga van Zon in Te Atatū on January 20, 1952, she worked on international opportunities for New Zealand artists at Creative New Zealand before becoming… · 29 April 2026 · April 2026 · Aquarius
Adrienne Staples New Zealand politician, mayor of South Wairarapa and member of the Greater Welling…
a New Zealand politician and former mayor of South Wairarapa, died on April 19, 2026, aged 69–70. Born in Featherston in 1956 or 1957, she served as mayor of South Wairarapa from 2004 to 2016, becoming the district’s first female… · Japan · 19 April 2026 · April 2026
Mark Carrington dead at age 64, New Zealand cricketer
a New Zealand cricketer who played for Northern Districts, died on April 16, 2026, aged 64. Born Sidney Mark Carrington on August 19, 1961, in Gisborne, he played for Northern Districts in the 1980s and also represented Poverty Bay in… · 16 April 2026 · April 2026 · Leo
Ned New Zealand snail dies
a New Zealand snail known for its left-spiralling shell, died on April 15, 2026. Ned was discovered in August 2025 in the garden of Giselle Clarkson in the Wairarapa, New Zealand, while she was weeding. Clarkson had been looking for… · 15 April 2026 · April 2026
Peter Lynn New Zealand engineer and kite maker, cancer dead at age 79
a New Zealand engineer, kite maker and inventor, died on April 11, 2026, at the age of 79 after cancer. He was born Peter Robert Lynn in 1946 and worked in kite making from 1973. Lynn and his wife Elwyn… · 11 April 2026 · April 2026
Cleighten Cornelius New Zealand cricketer and winemaker, myeloma dead at age 49
a New Zealand cricketer and winemaker, died on April 11, 2026, aged 49, in Blenheim, New Zealand, from myeloma. Born in Christchurch on June 2, 1976, he played three first-class and ten List A matches for Canterbury from 2001 to… · 11 April 2026 · April 2026
Sir Alan Frampton New Zealand agricultural economist dead at age 96
a New Zealand agricultural economist, died on April 10, 2026, aged 96. Born in Morrinsville on 2 November 1929, he completed a master’s degree at Massey University in 1964. He was an academic at Massey University from 1968 to 1983… · 10 April 2026 · April 2026
Ian Rutherford New Zealand cricketer dead at age 68
a New Zealand cricketer who played for Otago, Central Districts and Central Otago, died on April 2, 2026, aged 68. Born in Dunedin on June 30, 1957, Ian Alexander Rutherford played for Central Districts and Otago between 1974 and 1984,… · 02 April 2026 · April 2026
Jack Harliwich New Zealand cricketer dead at age 95
a New Zealand cricketer, died on April 1, 2026, aged 95. Born in Christchurch on July 14, 1930, he was a right-arm medium pacer who played one first-class match for Canterbury in the Plunket Shield competition, against Wellington at Lancaster… · 01 April 2026 · April 2026
Barry Curtis (mayor) public figure dead at age 87
a New Zealand politician and former mayor of Manukau City, died in Invalid Date, aged 87. He served as mayor from 1983 to 2007, and when he announced his intention to retire in 2007, he was New Zealand's longest-serving mayor…
Dallas O’Neill Australian rugby league and union player dead at age 83
an Australian rugby league and rugby union player, died on March 28, 2026, aged 83. Born in Mackay, Queensland, O'Neill was an Australian rugby union international who represented Australia in two Test matches. He also played rugby league for the… · New Zealand · 28 March 2026 · March 2026
Catherine Saunders Broadcaster dead at age 83
New Zealand broadcasting personality, public relations executive and radio producer, died on March 25, 2026, in Auckland, New Zealand, aged 83. Born Catherine Rosaleen Dowling in Dunedin on April 4, 1942, she trained as a teacher before deciding not to… · 25 March 2026 · March 2026
Andrew Pawley Linguist dead at age 84
an Australian linguist and academic, died on March 22, 2026, at the age of 84. Andrew Kenneth Pawley was an Australian–New Zealand linguist who served as a professor at the Australian National University. Born in Sydney on March 31, 1941,… · 22 March 2026 · March 2026
John Coley Painting, art criticism, curation and art administration dead at age 91
a New Zealand painter and art critic, died on March 17, 2026, aged 91. John William Coley MBE was born in Palmerston North on 28 January 1935. He attended Palmerston North Boys’ High School and took evening art classes at… · 17 March 2026 · March 2026
Ann Gluckman First female principal of a state co-educational secondary school in New Zealand dead…
a New Zealand educator, writer and historian, died on March 13, 2026, aged 98. Born Ann Jocelyn Klippel in London in 1927, she was appointed principal of Ngā Tapuwae College in 1975, becoming the first woman in New Zealand to… · 13 March 2026 · March 2026
Trevor McMahon New Zealand test cricketer dead at age 96
a New Zealand Test cricketer and wicket-keeper, died on March 12, 2026, aged 96. Born in Wellington on November 8, 1929, he played five Test matches for New Zealand between October 1955 and February 1956. McMahon studied engineering at Wellington… · 12 March 2026 · March 2026
Nev MacEwan New Zealand rugby union player (Wellington dead at age 91
a New Zealand rugby union player, died on March 11, 2026, aged 91. Born Ian Neven MacEwan in Auckland on May 1, 1934, he was educated at Nelson College, where he played in the 1st XV in 1951 and 1952.… · 11 March 2026 · March 2026
Herbs (band) New Zealand musician dead at age -1
the New Zealand reggae group founded in 1979, died on March 8, 2026. The multi-ethnic band featured Samoans, Tongans, Cook Islanders, New Zealand Europeans and Māori members. Led by singer-guitarist Dilworth Karaka, the main founding member who remained with the… · 08 March 2026 · March 2026
Nathan Healey (athlete) New Zealand runner dead at age 76
a New Zealand runner, died on March 6, 2026. He specialised in the 3000 metres steeplechase and cross country, won three national titles, and represented New Zealand in the steeplechase at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games. Healey also won a… · 06 March 2026 · March 2026
Philip Trusttum New Zealand figurative expressionist artist dead at age 85
the New Zealand figurative expressionist artist, died on March 4, 2026, aged 85. Born in Raetihi on June 9, 1940, he moved with his family to Christchurch in 1945, later living in Oxford, Rangiora and Ashley. Trusttum’s interest in art… · 04 March 2026 · March 2026
Neville Peat Author, photographer dead at age 78
New Zealand natural history writer and photographer, died on March 1, 2026, aged 78. Born in Dunedin in 1947, he was based at Broad Bay on the Otago Peninsula and specialised in natural history, particularly the south of New Zealand… · 01 March 2026 · March 2026
Robin Jefferson New Zealand cricketer dead at age 84
a New Zealand cricketer and lawn bowls player, died on February 26, 2026, aged 84. Born in Christchurch in 1941, he made his representative debut for Southland in the 1965–66 season before playing first-class cricket for Otago later that season.… · 26 February 2026 · February 2026
Mayor of Timaru New Zealand politician dead at age 93
the directly elected head of the Timaru District Council in New Zealand, died on February 15, 2026. The office is the local government authority for the Timaru District and controls it as a territorial authority. There have been 40 mayors… · 15 February 2026 · February 2026
Ray Webster (businessman) Aviation executive dead at age 79
the New Zealand-born British businessman who served as chief executive of easyJet from 1996 to 2005, died on February 14, 2026, aged 79. Born Raymond Douglas Webster in Greymouth, New Zealand, on 9 July 1946, he was the first managing… · 14 February 2026 · February 2026 · Other
Pip Cheshire Architect dead at age 75
a New Zealand architect, died on February 11, 2026, aged 75. Philip Maxwell Cheshire was one of the founding directors of Jasmax and later founded Cheshire Architects. He was awarded the New Zealand Institute of Architects Gold Medal in 2013… · 11 February 2026 · February 2026
Matz Skoog Swedish ballet dancer and artistic director dead at age 68
the Swedish ballet dancer and artistic director, died on February 10, 2026. Born in Stockholm on April 10, 1957, he trained with the Royal Swedish Ballet School. He was artistic director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet from 1996 to… · England · 10 February 2026 · February 2026 · Other
Anne Gambrill New Zealand lawyer and judge dead at age 91
a New Zealand lawyer and judge, died on February 10, 2026, aged 91. Born Anne Gertrude Shorland in Wellington in 1934, she was the first woman to sit on the High Court bench in New Zealand and the seventh woman… · 10 February 2026 · February 2026
Selwyn Cushing Businessman dead at age 89
a New Zealand businessman and accountant, died on February 10, 2026, aged 89. Sir Selwyn John Cushing was born in Hastings on 1 September 1936 and was educated at Hastings Boys' High School. In 1964, he married Kaye Dorothy Anderson,… · 10 February 2026 · February 2026 · Other
John Terris Broadcaster dead at age 86
a New Zealand politician, Anglican priest and broadcaster, died on February 2, 2026, aged 86. He represented the Labour Party in the New Zealand parliament from 1978 to 1990 and served as Chairman of Committees of the House of Representatives… · 02 February 2026 · February 2026
Tony Pigott English cricketer (Sussex dead at age 67
the English cricketer who played for Sussex and Surrey and appeared in one Test for England in 1984, died on February 1, 2026, aged 67. Born in Fulham, London, on 4 June 1958, he was called up as an emergency… · New Zealand · 01 February 2026 · February 2026
Justin Taylor
New Zealand priest and historian · 20 January 2026 · January 2026 · January 20
Grant Batty
New Zealand rugby union player (Wellington · 16 January 2026 · January 2026 · January 16 · Grant,
Dame Karen Poutasi
New Zealand public health official · 31 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 31 · Poutasi · Other
Robert Smellie
New Zealand High Court judge · 26 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 26
Alan Marley
New Zealand footballer (national team) · 21 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 21
Garry Smith
New Zealand rugby league player (West Coast · 15 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 15
Brent McLachlan
New Zealand drummer (Bailter Space) · 10 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 10
Ross Morrison
New Zealand cricketer (Auckland) and tennis administrator · 10 December 2025 · December 2025 · December 10
Gary Williams
New Zealand cricketer (Otago) · 18 November 2025 · November 2025 · November 18
Lee Tamahori
New Zealand film director (Once Were Warriors · 10 November 2025 · November 2025 · November 10 · Other
So You Think
New Zealand-bred Thoroughbred racehorse · 19 October 2025 · October 2025 · October 19 · Other · Think
Graham Bell
New Zealand police officer and television show host (Police Ten 7) · 07 October 2025 · October 2025 · October 7 · Other
John E. Braggins
New Zealand botanist and bryologist · 05 October 2025 · October 2025 · October 5 · Braggins · Other
Alison Drower
Australian TV and radio presenter (MTV (Australia and New Zealand) · 28 September 2025 · September 2025 · September 28
Bruce Morrison
New Zealand cricketer (Wellington · 23 September 2025 · September 2025 · September 23
David H. Clark
New Zealand-born British astrophysicist and science administrator · 18 September 2025 · September 2025 · September 18 · Clark · Other
Robin Chadwick
New Zealand-born British actor (The Brothers) · 12 September 2025 · September 2025 · September 12
Stan Martin
New Zealand rugby league footballer (Richmond Bulldogs) and coach (Cook Islands · 09 September 2025 · September 2025 · September 9
Dame Pat Harrison
New Zealand educationalist · 07 September 2025 · September 2025 · September 7 · Harrison · Other
Janet Grieve
New Zealand biological oceanographer · 29 August 2025 · August 2025 · August 29 · Other
Louise Rummel
New Zealand nurse and nursing educator · 29 August 2025 · August 2025 · August 29 · Other
Dame Peggy Koopman-Boyden
New Zealand gerontologist · 28 August 2025 · Koopman-Boyden · August 2025 · August 28 · Other
Lloyd Ashby
New Zealand rugby union player (Southland · 28 August 2025 · August 2025 · August 28
Denis Cameron
New Zealand rugby union player (Mid Canterbury · 25 August 2025 · August 2025 · August 25
John Bartley
New Zealand-born Canadian cinematographer · 19 August 2025 · August 2025 · August 19 · Other
Peter Lester
New Zealand sailor and broadcaster · 08 August 2025 · August 2025 · August 8
Sir Michael Hill
New Zealand jeweller and entrepreneur · 28 July 2025 · July 2025 · July 28 · Other · Hill
Chris Faiumu
New Zealand reggae-dub producer and musician (Fat Freddy's Drop) · 17 July 2025 · July 2025 · July 17
Bruce McTavish
New Zealand boxing referee · 16 July 2025 · July 2025 · July 16 · Other
Robbie Stuart
New Zealand rugby union player (Hawke's Bay · 29 June 2025 · June 2025 · June 29
Garry Ahern
New Zealand sports broadcaster · 23 June 2025 · June 2025 · June 23