Arthur John Ingram, 10740 RNZN (1925–2020)

Obituary

Jack Ingram was born to a farming family in New Zealand, the eldest and last survivor of a generation of seven children.  His father and uncles began sawmilling in Australia and he received some of his primary education in Bunyip in Victoria. While he was President of the Historical Society he returned there for a school reunion and later told those of us on the committee of his memories as a school boy being told to take a spade and kill any snakes on the cricket field before a game. The family returned to New Zealand and Jack attended Auckland Grammar School. He worked on farms for a while until he joined the RNZN and was sent to England to train for the Fleet Air Arm. WW2 ended before he saw active service and he studied for a Diploma of Agriculture at Massey College.

Arthur John Ingram, 10740 RNZN (1925-2020)

Jack’s career was in farming but he was committed to public service and he served on the Matamata County Council, South Auckland Education Board, Federated Farmers and Tauranga Harbour Board. He had a sharp, active mind and a strong sense of social justice fostered by his extensive reading and belief in socialism. For instance, he saw from the success of the dairy cooperatives the fair distribution of profits to the producer rather than the middle man. His time on the Kiwifruit Marketing Authority (later Zespri) saw these principles put into action again. Sir Walter Nash appointed Jack to the Board of the Reserve Bank.

Jack Ingram

The mother of their four children was Winnie McLaren and some years after her sudden death he married Joyce Allen who was known to many of us in the Historical Society. Jack had strong connections with his family and looked forward to school events, birthdays and graduations with his grandchildren. He loved music and sang in choirs and was a keen Scottish Country dancer. He had a phenomenal memory for, and a great interest in, history and was President of the Tauranga Historical Society for six years, took part in U3A history groups and was a member of the Founders’ Society.

The crowd of people at Jack’s funeral attested to the impact he had made on his community and the people who valued him. It was pleasing to see the men and women from Scottish dancing wearing kilts and sashes. Jack’s two sons Tom and Chris Ingram gave the eulogy. The funeral concluded with bagpipes followed by the Last Post, the Ode, and Reveille.