Up to 500 mourners gathered yesterday to celebrate the life of Queenstown man Mark James Smith (47) who died in the resort last Thursday.
At the funeral, held at Frankton's City Impact Church, Pastor Dean Payne said Mr Smith was a "loving husband, dad, son, big brother and mate".
"He was the kind of guy to give it to you straight . . . He lived life to the full," he said.
Mr Smith was married for 17 years to Fiona, who works at Queenstown Primary School.
They have two sons, Callum (19) and Lincoln (11).
Mr Smith was born in Invercargill and worked in Tuatapere for 18 years before moving to Arrowtown in 1992.
He worked for Calder Stewart for 16 years and was more recently in charge of the roofing division at Laser Plumbing.
Mr Payne said Mr Smith's death was a "real tragedy" and had left the community shocked and numb.
"We can not help acknowledge what has taken place last Thursday night . . .
"It seems so unfair and unjust," he said. Mr Smith was knocked unconscious at the Camp St taxi stand and attempts to revive him by community guides at the scene were unsuccessful.
Police were called to the scene at 11.30pm and shortly afterwards a 34-year-old man was arrested and charged with assault.
The man, who has name suppression, appeared in the Queenstown District Court last Friday and was remanded in custody to appear in the Invercargill District Court on Friday.
No further charges have been laid.
