Murray was a very practical Professional Engineer and I was fortunate to be able to work with him on several projects. I was remember being a passenger in his Triumph 2000 for an exhilarating ride over the Mamaku ranges to Hautapu. Murray will be remembered for the many successful engineering works he was involved in throughout the bay of Plenty Don Stotter

Hello all from Nelson and I'm so sorry to hear of Murray's passing and more-so that I'd not seen him for a few years now. However, I'm very glad to be part of today's service and learn more about a man we all liked a lot and respected also. Those few years at Kelly, Browne and Spurr were influential for me and I still have very fond memories of that initial 3 years I was there. It's given me a life long friendship with Alan and also others from BSK thanks primarily to the culture of the company. I send my warmest regards to all the family. He was a fine man. Marcel. x

Sending my love and good thoughts to Mary and the Browne whanau on this day. Unfortunately still in lockdown here in the Waikato, otherwise I would be there. Murray (and Kevin) were my first full-time bosses. I started work at Kelly, Browne and Spurr straight from sixth form in 1981. The Eighties were great at KBS, long lunches and longer card games that could happen at any time. Partnering with Murray at 500 required utmost concentration and delivered the highest reward. He was phenomenal at counting cards and his win rate proved it. The morning tea run took half an hour with the preferred pies, sausage rolls and scotch eggs all being sourced from different bakeries. The junior needed to make sure Murray’s Best Bets was not last weeks edition — rookie mistake. Rheineck was the craft beer of choice. Business socks and shorts change over labour weekend. Christmas lunches next level epic. Always healthy end of year bonuses. Murray was a good boss, generous and considerably patient with a draughting office full of angsty male late teeners doing dumb sh*t. And I did a bit of dumb sh*t in the eighties. Murray’s HR mode was quite fatherly and supportive when I thought I deserved to get fired. Murray could make the Gestetner sing if we had flooded it with ink (didn’t want Mary to have to type the page out again). The carpark behind the Amohia St office was treacherous to get in and out of. The tweeky chequer plate ramp was right by the bosses window and Murray’s orange Triumph 2.5 had a hair trigger clutch. Cold sweats. One winters day Murray and I were driving to Te Poi for a site measure-up. We hit some ice on one of those shady Mamaku corners. We slid gracefully in slow motion — my eyes widening — Murray kept the acceleration smooth and seemed even more reclined and relaxed than usual. It was an eternity before we hit sunlight and traction, two wheels just skirting the shingle. It seemed very normal for him, I was genuinely impressed. He continued singing… ‘aaaand Goebbels had no balls at all’. He was the original drifter. RIP Murray, I couldn’t of wished for a better debut workplace experience. The values of generosity, family, fun and authenticity are what I learnt from you and Kevin, they are now part of my fabric I carry as an employer in my own business. Arohanui Mary, Allen, Graham and Russ and whanau. Alan Deare.