Steve and Mei Lian Dickey were joined by hundreds of people from New Zealand and Wanaka’s sailing and emergency services communities yesterday to mourn their son, Sean Dickey, who died in a road accident in Christchurch on April 19.
Mr Dickey (22) was born and raised in Wanaka and went to Mt Aspiring College, where he became one of the school leaders, before moving to Christchurch in 2018 to study engineering.
He was working full time as a St John ambulance officer in Rolleston when his life was cut short in a collision between two motorbikes, one of which he was riding, and a car.
The accident rocked the Wanaka community, which turned out in force to support the Dickey family at yesterday’s funeral.
Mr Dickey thanked the community "for helping us raise such a beautiful man and thank you for coming here to share our pain".
Mrs Dickey said the family was "blown away" that people had come from as far away as Auckland and Invercargill.
"They have used so many beautiful words to describe you and this has brought us much comfort. As a family we were a team ... we enjoyed each other’s company, our discussions were varied and our laughs were many.
"We were the dream team... Wherever you are headed they had better watch out. You will shake things up, for sure," Mrs Dickey said.
Described by his friends as mischievous, competitive and kind, Mr Dickey was a talented sailor who enjoyed coaching and mentoring youth.
Mr Dickey had written to St John at the age of 5, requesting a cadet unit be set up in Wanaka.
He never left the organisation and several St John colleagues - young and old - said in their eulogies: "We all knew he was going to be our boss".
Former and present Mt Aspiring College pupils performed a haka as his casket left the Lake Wanaka Centre.
A guard of honour by St John staff was also formed.
