We wish to honour the remarkable Friday Rountree who recently passed away at age 54. Friday made an invaluable contribution to AdmiNZ in his 33 years of membership, was heavily involved in Maoritanga and his community and proudly served as an Associate of the High Court.
The Honourable Justice Simon Moore, Friday Rountree’s Judge, wrote: “One of Friday’s particular qualities, which makes it impossible for a single person to capture his life adequately, is that he tended to compartmentalise his various roles and achievements. As a result, there was little cross-fertilisation between his various fields of endeavour, whether it was his marae (ancestral home), his iwi (tribe), his other voluntary pursuits and, of course, his whanau (family), about which he was more open simply by his profound and well-justified pride in them.”
So, I put Friday’s life into three parts and we (Friday’s wife, Rhonda, the Honourable Justice Simon Moore, and me) each wrote of the Friday we knew so well.
Friday’s Whanau (Family) – Rhonda Rountree
“Kua hinga he totara i te wao nui a Tane” – “A totara has fallen in the forest of Tane.” We will miss your laugh, growlings, bad singing, and your love.
His hapu/iwi (tribe)
Friday became a Proxy Trustee and then Trustee/Treasurer for Ngapuhi Ki Waitemata, an involvement that spanned over 24 years. He was the spokesperson for any Nga Puhi West Aucklander; if they had concerns, he would take them to monthly board meetings at the Nga Puhi Runanga, and he questioned policies or anything he felt was unclear or doubtful.
His marae (ancestral home)
Over the last 25 years, Friday has been Chairperson/Trustee, Secretary, and Treasurer for his marae Pukerata, of which he was so proud. He would travel three and a half hours each way to attend monthly meetings and spend hours online sorting things out. He sourced funding and organised many events to support projects which were needed to keep his marae safe.
His community in Auckland
Friday was a founding member of our competitive Kapa Haka (traditional dance and action songs expressing cultural identity) roopu (group), “Te Taha Tu”, with hundreds of members. He was the administrator who made sure they were on time, looked their best, and always aimed for the best. He helped create all our kakahu (traditional clothes) over the last 14 years; if he didn’t know how, Google was his place for answers! He catered for our wananga (gathering for discussion) with over 100 attendees. Five committee members are now required to cover his roles.
Friday was an honorary member of Ngakau Atawhai (a branch of the Maori Women’s Welfare League) for over 15 years, where he helped to set up many projects supporting West Auckland youth to achieve their school goals.
Becoming a Justice of the Peace was something that Friday was asked to consider. It was a challenge. He provided service to his community every Thursday night and our home was always open when people needed to drop in.
Our mokopuna (grandchildren) said his home office reminded them of their headmaster’s office! He replied to them, “Why were you in there? You had better behave at school.”
His whanau
Our family formed our own netball club, Nga Mapurapura, due to our six granddaughters who loved netball. Friday sourced sponsorship and funding. This year, the club won the two top grades; a highlight and these two wins were dedicated to him. I am sure the netball association are relieved to not have him question their rules or win complaints against them. We will miss that.
Friday was the best husband, friend, and soulmate anyone could ask for. His equal loved ones were his son, Pairama, daughter-in-law Karla, and his mokopuna (grandchildren), Taupiri, Cheyenne, Paihia, Sherece, Taati, and Lysette (who would all tell you individually that they were their “Papa’s favourites” – they all were)! Then there was his even deeper love for our great-grandchildren, Te Atamaio, Ermaiah, and Little Friday.
Our life together was very full, maybe too full at times with all our commitments, but we would not have it any other way.
Final notes
Rhonda acknowledged all the support and guidance Friday received from AdmiNZ and his amazing lifelong friends Eth, Marie, Valerie, Beryl, Sue, and many others. She believes that AdmiNZ helped motivate him to become who he was in his professional life and his drive to ask questions and find answers. AdmiNZ would acknowledge that Friday questioned remits and finances at every AGM.
When Rhonda and Friday first met, he had a lisp. She believes that AdmiNZ helped Friday to gain confidence, to believe in himself, and his lisp disappeared. Rhonda also believes AdmiNZ is the reason that he made sure that their grandchildren strived for and achieved their goals, because their Papa said, “You can do anything you work hard for and put your mind to.”
Friday and AdmiNZ – Eth Lloyd
A member of AdmiNZ from 1991, Friday joined as a young man in his twenties while working at the Department of Social Welfare. A brave step, being a young Maori male joining what was a predominantly older white female organisation, but Friday stuck with his membership for 33 years.
Friday was the National 2nd Vice President 2002, the National 1st Vice President 2004, and then stepped up to National President 2006–2008; the first male president in our then 34-year history. After his term as National President, he joined the Board of AAPNZ Professional Development Ltd – our company that, at that time, managed our major events such as conferences and our professional development offerings.
Friday led a team that investigated and brought forward our Te Reo (Maori) name. He worked with Sue Westbrooke and Beryl Harris, both members of the Rotorua Group. They were gifted two names by their local iwi (tribe) and a third was put forward by another AdmiNZ member. Of those three names, the name chosen by the members was Te Kawarangi, the Te Reo name for the plaited border around a Korowai (ceremonial cloak) holding everything together. Analogy is a part of Te Reo oratory, and this is a true analogy for administrative professionals, and for Friday himself. We are proud of our name, AdmiNZ – Te Kawarangi, and we are proud of Friday.
Friday was involved internationally with the World Administrators Summit, attending events in 2003, 2006, 2008, 2011, and 2018 as a New Zealand Delegate. He also took a leading role in the 2015 WA-Summit in Papua New Guinea but was unable to attend.
Throughout this time, Friday undertook tertiary vocational study, achieving his diploma in business administration through workplace assessment, recognising his skills and knowledge using work he undertook daily to provide evidence which aligned with the requirements of the diploma. This started Friday on a pathway of higher education. He achieved a bachelor’s degree in Maori performing arts, then a post-graduate diploma in business, and had talked of, or had started, his MBA. He also trained for and passed his exam to be sworn in as a Justice of the Peace (equivalent of a notary public in the USA).
All through this time with study and full-time work, latterly as Judge’s Associate for the High Court Judge the Hon. Justice Simon Moore, Friday contributed to his whanau (family), hapu and iwi, and to his wife Rhonda’s commitment to the Maori Women’s Welfare League, where he was honoured for his contributions.
Friday’s local Auckland AdmiNZ Group put him forward for Life Membership, which he was awarded in 2021. This was a measure of the huge respect and appreciation AdmiNZ had for Friday. AdmiNZ has only ever had seven Life Members since this honour was instituted in 1997.
His personality was awesome – he was the lone Maori male with many of the rest being older white women like me. I am not sure how he coped, as sometimes I found it challenging!! But cope he did, and I believe it was his skills, his knowledge, his personality, his extraordinary ability to give, and his cheeky sense of humour – I can still hear his laugh –all of which contributed to his mana (presence, gravitas).
In 2003, Friday travelled from New Zealand to London with my husband, Charles, and I, and two others. We attended the World Administrators Summit in London. We had a ball. Friday certainly knew how to party! We then travelled to Amsterdam with Australian AIOP Member Leanne Fisher to attend the (European) International Management Assistants Training Day.
Charles had booked accommodation for us all, which happened to be on the 4th floor of a very tall and narrow Amsterdam building, with no lift and very narrow stairs! Charles and Friday had to pull, push, and shove the suitcases for four women up those stairs, though I believe that Liz Signal, as a former NZ Women’s Cricket Representative, was able to add strength to the process. Friday made up for it when his own shopping necessitated him buying another suitcase to bring it all home; he truly loved shopping, especially for his whanau (family).
He shared his knowledge with AdmiNZ over legal documents, our AGM, and he readily gave his support for this Interim Board right up until the day before his surgery. He set up Zoom meetings for us and often had to cut off his video and mute as another medical procedure had to be undertaken.
Friday was my friend. He was loyal and supportive, someone I could rely on, though he did on occasion go AWOL on me due, I am sure, to his having agreed to help too many people at the same time. He will be deeply and greatly missed; we can only imagine Rhonda’s loss. Go well, my dear friend.
AdmiNZ AGM 2005. (L-R): Liz Signal, AdmiNZ National President; Eth Lloyd, AdmiNZ Immediate Past President; Friday Rountree, AdmiNZ 1st Vice President
Observations on Friday’s Professional Life in the Law and the Courts – The Honourable Justice Simon Moore
Friday early on took a role as a legal Assistant. In that capacity he worked at the law firms of Russell McVeagh and Bell Gully. His distinctive (and distinguished) name meant that he was seldom overlooked. However, it was his competence, both technically and professionally, which marked him out, even in those early years, as a true leader. Even today, those who encountered him in private practice remember him as a quiet, hardworking, and thoroughly competent work colleague.
His move to the High Court required exacting standards which are demanding and prescriptive for the role of an Associate of the High Court. The bar is high because High Court Associates are entrusted with dealing with highly sensitive information relating to criminal investigations and matters affecting the security of the State.
The role of a High Court Associate is to provide executive assistance to the High Court Judge for whom they work. But the role is much greater and more demanding than that. It involves assisting the Judge with their in-court responsibilities, managing the distribution of judgments, ensuring suppression and non-publication orders are observed, and monitoring these. The role also requires the Associate to occupy something of a professional bulwark between the judicial and executive arms of State.
In this role, Friday first assisted His Honour Justice Edwin Wylie for two years before resigning to take up a role in the Mayoral Office of the Far North District Council where he and Rhonda could be closer to Friday’s terminally ill mother.
Following her death, Friday returned to Auckland and in 2014 took up the role of Associate to the newly appointed Justice Simon Moore. Over the following decade the two established an extremely close and trusting professional and personal relationship. In fact, following Friday’s death, several senior legal commentators observed that the relationship between Friday and his Judge was one of those rare, if not remarkable, enduring working relationships.
Because Friday was so discreet, those outside the law, including his family, had little or no visibility of what he actually did at work. That social and professional artifact might also have reflected Friday’s rigorous work ethic, influenced by his natural humanity, his enduring humility, and his utter proficiency in absolutely everything he turned his hand to.
That was not just because he was the very best at his job but also because, for Friday, nothing ever presented as a problem. He never needed to be asked. When he saw the need, he fixed it without fanfare or any expectation of reward.
Friday quickly earned a reputation for no nonsense and getting on with the job. And that got noticed in Wellington. He was earmarked for greater things in several leadership roles. Were it not for his overwhelming love for his whanau and his enduring loyalty to Justice Moore, he would have accepted those roles and enjoyed the fruits of promotion.
Friday was also a fixer. Nothing was ever too much trouble for him. The problem with earning a reputation as a problem-solver is that everyone wants a bit of you, and very quickly, unless you are careful, it can get on top of you. How Friday managed to juggle the various and frantically busy separate and quarantined aspects of his life remains a puzzle.
Friday was also fiercely intelligent. He could have turned his hand to anything he wanted, including legal practice. He would have been an outstanding lawyer. He loved the law and was a natural at it. And so, never one to dodge a challenge, a few years ago he took his exams to qualify as a Justice of the Peace. Unsurprisingly, he flew through, gaining top marks. Justices of the Peace are judicial officers. Because of that, they must be sworn in like any other judge: taking the Judicial Oath and the Oath of Allegiance. For Justices of the Peace, this is ordinarily undertaken in a ceremony in the District Court. But not so Friday Rountree.
Friday’s swearing in as a Justice of the Peace was never going to be ordinary. Instead, the historic and majestic Courtroom One was allocated for the ceremony. This is a huge, ornate, vaulted Victorian masterpiece constructed in 1865 and reputed to be the oldest working courtroom in the world. It is largely reserved for special ceremonial sittings, such as the swearing in of new judges and the call to the bar of new lawyers. On that day, Courtroom One was packed. Rhonda was seated with proud whanau in the press stalls. The public gallery was packed. The bench overflowed with High Court Judges resplendent in their gold and scarlet regalia, keen to support a highly respected fellow judicial officer. Seated in pride of place, in the middle at the front, was a beaming Friday, resplendent in his beautiful korowai.
Rhonda and others who were there that day will remember what a splendid occasion played out in that packed courtroom, complete with karakia (blessing) and congratulatory mihi (personal introductions) from the bench and from the floor. It was such a deserving accolade for a man universally admired and respected.
After the ceremony, a representative of the Justices of the Peace Association approached Justice Moore and mentioned that he had enjoyed the ceremony so much that he thought JPs should always be sworn in in the High Court in the future. He was told in explicit terms “…what we have just seen is a once-in-a-lifetime special event put on for a once-in-a-lifetime special person. It won’t happen again.”
Friday, as he did with everything, applied his considerable energy and took up his new JP responsibilities immediately. Every Thursday afternoon he would head off to the Westgate Mall to give freely of his time to the community as a JP, signing and witnessing documents, taking statutory declarations and affidavits.
There is another postscript to this part of the story. After he became a JP, any judge passing his office would pop their head into his room and greet him with, “Morena (good morning), Your Worship.” Friday would reply, “Morena, Your Honour.” It became something of a daily ritual which he seemed to rather enjoy!
Circuit duties with Friday were always rich and rewarding experiences. Circuit is when the judge and their associate sit in courts other than their home court. Friday was a superb ambassador to the High Court on circuit. Everyone loved him. Everyone remembered him. He made a special effort to engage with everyone in the courthouse no matter where in the hierarchy they sat. It rightly earned him huge popularity and respect. As a result, Friday and his Judge were treated like royalty on circuit.
The other thing about Friday on the circuit was that he had friends and whanau in every city he and the Judge visited, from Whangarei to Dunedin. It was one of the few occasions when the other components of his life intersected with his professional duties.
However, what Friday was rightly most proud of in this world was his whanau. His life revolved around his beloved Rhonda, his soulmate of 34 years. He adored Rhonda with every fibre of his body. She was the bedrock on which his success as the highly accomplished professional and thoroughly decent man he was, was founded. They were very much the indivisible couple because cross one, and you crossed both. They were complementary in the sense that their contribution as a couple exceeded the sum of its individual parts.
Friday wasted not a minute of his life and through his efforts left the world a much better place than it was when he first entered it almost 55 years ago.
Our thoughts, best wishes, and aroha (love) go to Rhonda and to Friday’s beloved whanau.
