Wellington-born Graham Harvey celebrated 50 years' service to St John at a special ceremony in his adoptive South Otago town last month, but his paramedical career had had an inauspicious start, he said.
Coming of age during the time of balloted compulsory military service in the late 1960s, he had drawn the short straw and been drafted and went for training in Rotorua, Mr Harvey said.
There he was earmarked for the medical corps "for no particular reason" and, despite his aversion to the military side of matters, discovered an enjoyment in all things curative.
"I met a couple of guys in Rotorua - funnily enough including another Graham Harvey, from Dunedin - who were already involved as St John volunteers. Well, that piqued my interest, and I joined up as a volunteer in 1968."
Four years later, he became a paid ambulance officer, and "had never looked back".
A varied career in the service followed, including roles as senior station officer, district operations manager and as station officer in a move to Balclutha in January 1991.
There he remained, before starting down the road to retirement by stepping back to ambulance officer in June 2011.
During his presentation with the Order of St John last month, fellow officers and community members spoke glowingly of Mr Harvey's kind and patient guidance, and unflappable demeanour.
Protege and fellow Balclutha St John officer Stuart Holgate said he had been a "role model" for him and others.
"He never said a swear word or lost his temper once, despite being given cause to do so quite often."
Mr Harvey deflected the praise, saying, "I was starting to wonder if I was the bloke who was meant to be sitting here when I heard all the nice things you had to say about me."
He was "very humbled" by the recognition.
"In this job we deal with people from birth until death, and from very different backgrounds. From people in the gutter, to people living in mansions. I just hope I've been able to make a difference."
