Long service to community touched lives of many
Oamaru accountant
TONY BRADY once remarked how he liked doing good and helping people, without reward or recognition; it was always about the service, not the status.
Mr Brady, who died in
Oamaru Hospital on August 24, was legendary for his contribution to his beloved town which was home for nearly all his 83 years.
He touched the lives of many, whether through his work as a chartered accountant and honorary auditor to many organisations, his lifetime involvement with Scouts, or the Catholic Church and schools in Oamaru.
He had many roles within the community: mentor, volunteer, sportsman, board director, pennyfarthing rider and the fastest father at the parish picnic.
But, above all, he was a devoted family man to his wife Moneuan (nee Ryan), whom he married in 1961, and their eight children.
He was born in Roxburgh, the eldest of four children, to John and Eina Brady. The family moved to Oamaru when he was a toddler. He was dux of St Patrick’s in 1949 and dux of St Kevin’s College in 1954.
After leaving school, he started work for local accountant Howard Stott as a clerk. In 1956, Mr Stott and Charles Jones formed the partnership Jones and Stott.
After studying extramurally, Mr Brady became a chartered accountant in 1965. In 1969, he became a partner and the name changed to Jones, Stott and Brady.
In 1976, Colin Wollstein joined the partnership to ultimately replace Mr Stott — Mr Jones had earlier retired — and, from 1981, the firm was Brady and Wollstein.
In November 2009, it — along with another Oamaru firm, Scott and Co — joined accountancy group WHK Taylors Otago, which is now known as Findex.
Outside accountancy, Mr Brady did some parttime jobs, including working for builders, farmers, truck drivers and on the wharf, which he enjoyed and had added to his knowledge of his clients.
‘‘It makes you able to talk their language,’’ he told the Otago Daily Times, just before his retirement in 2010. At that time, he said Oamaru had been good to him and his family and he enjoyed making a contribution to the community.
‘‘It’s been a good life. I’ve never ever wanted to do anything else,’’ he said.
With a strong interest in young people, Mr Brady was heavily involved with Scouts, his tenure dating back to 1946. He was the first cub to be invested at the thennew cub pack at St Pat’s and that was the start of a great scouting life, longtime friend and fellow Scout Derek Beveridge said.
‘‘Tony lived for his family, but the scout movement was a close second.’’
IN 2009, he was awarded the Silver Tui, Scouting New Zealand’s highest good service award in recognition of his exceptional services to the scouting movement.
In an interview, he said he had found it an incredibly interesting organisation to be involved with.
‘‘It’s worthwhile and it achieves a lot with young people. It takes them out of themselves into a whole new arena of endeavour and life skills they otherwise wouldn’t get a chance to,’’ he said.
He led two New Zealand contingents to World
Jamborees, and he was actively involved with many New Zealand jamborees. He was one of the main organisers of a jamboree in Oamaru in 1978 attended by about 7000 Scouts.
While very well known in scouting circles throughout New Zealand, his main focus was on his St Pat’s group and the youth that went through it, Mr Beveridge said.
In his spare time, Mr Brady audited the local scout group’s books and also those of the zone. Financial considerations never stopped young people from becoming a scout, particularly at St Pat’s.
‘‘Tony made sure, by whatever means, that a young person would not miss out on scouting, a uniform or attending any scouting activity through lack of family finances. He made sure money was found many times from his own pocket. He was a true practiser of what he stood for.’’
He retired from being an active youth leader in 2015 but remained an enthusiast of what was happening in scouting and continued to look after scouting audits.
A month before his death, he was presented with a plaque commemorating a lifetime of service to scouts.
‘‘This was a real lifetime and not many can say they have given service like that,’’ Mr Beveridge said.
Mr Brady — who had firm beliefs around how things should be done — had left his mark in North Otago where he was involved in so much and was always the willing helper, he said.
Heavily involved with the Catholic Church since he was a youth leader, Mr Brady served as chairman of the parish council, was a member of the Dunedin diocesan development fund for 25 years and served on the New Zealand Commission of Laity.
He was on the board of trustees of St Kevin’s College from 1990 and at St Joseph’s from 1989, standing down from both at the end of 2006. He did lot of accounting work for St Kevin’s, was involved with school camps, compered at school balls and, with his wife, gave presentations on relationships and marriage.
IN 2007, he received the Benemerenti Papal Medal — one of the highest papal awards that can be bestowed on a lay person — acknowledging his contribution to Catholic education.
Fr Wayne Healey, who had a long association with Mr Brady, described him as ‘‘very much a North Otagoite through and through’’. Generous and humble, he contributed greatly to his community and, in turn, he was greatly respected.
Mr Brady was awarded a Rotary Paul Harris Fellowship for his work in the community, plus a Fellowship of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. He was also a justice of the peace.
Throughout his career he held various director’s positions, at companies such as Network Waitaki, Regina Confectionery (now Rainbow Confectionery), Mackenzie Contracting Ltd and Pulse Business Solutions and was a trustee on the Waitaki Power Trust.
A keen sportsman, Mr Brady represented North Otago in rugby between 1957 and 1962 and trialled for the South Island side in 1961 and 1962. He also enjoyed cycling and playing croquet.
He loved adventures and travel which included racing a pennyfarthing bike in
Tasmania and cycling trips through China and Vietnam, and Lands End to John O’Groats in the UK.
With a lifelong love of learning, he learned to cook aged 80, with the help of Bargain Box. Ever the accountant, he would audit the contents of the box when it arrived on Sunday night and he was chuffed if he received a whole bag of breadcrumbs if only a cup was required.
Ingredients were measured and all equipment was ready on the bench at 4.30pm sharp. Dinner was served at 6pm, after the couple watched The Chase television quiz show.
Blessed with an extraordinary work ethic, Mr Brady never shied away from hard work. He had capacity to work like an ox in terms of volume, both mentally and physically, daughter Clare Gillies recalled.
Frugal for himself but generous to others, he was also wise.
‘‘As soon as anyone was having trouble and came to him, he would say that Moneuan and he would pray for them, that things would work out,’’ daughter Grace Ockwell said.
‘‘Since Tony’s passing, many people have confided that Tony got them started, over a hump or helped them without judgement when they had gotten themselves into a pickle.’’
His family commented they were ‘‘incredibly grateful’’ for the life they shared with him.
Mr Brady is survived by his wife Moneuan, their children Kerry, Grace, Clare, Mary, Bridget, John, Martin and Lenore, and their families.
— Sally Rae