Obituary of Lofty Burrows

(1915 - 2010)
(By Murray Owen. First published in The Guardian)

Lofty Burrows was revered in the local community - not only for his sporting feats, but also for his values and the way he went about his duties. He reached his 95th year, remaining sharp as a tack with a particularly good memory and sense of humour.

From the sporting perspective he excelled at cricket, proving to be a proficient all-rounder who reached Newman Shield level.

He was, without question, a legend at the Riwaka Rugby Club, serving as a player, selector and administrator. He was a stand-out loose forward and represented Golden Bay-Motueka from 1935-38 which included Seddon Shield fixtures.

At the Riwaka club 125th celebrations at Cooks Reserve in 2009, flanked by his grandson Warren Burrows and son-in-law Malcolm Reid and using walking frames, Lofty, as the oldest living Riwaka player, led the past players parade.

The Riwaka senior A and B teams and their opponents of the day, Huia and Collingwood, formed the guard of honour. There was an added touch to proceedings when Lofty, Warren and Malcolm were joined at the head of the procession by Hana Corbett-Burrows, Lofty's great grandson and a member of the jubilee season Senior A side.

The occasion, with the different generations together, was quite momentous and emotional for some of the club stalwarts. Lofty had not been content with leading the parade in a wheelchair and had spent much time going out to his letterbox and back on his frames in preparation for this occasion.

Lofty was also interviewed for the Toyota Grassroots Rugby TV programme,which covered the senior jubilee game. He spoke of his own playing days and said, "I don't think I disgraced myself too much, did I?" after the programme went to air. In fact, he was humbled by the royal treatment he received at the celebrations, and was most impressed by many of the young players, 18-20 years of age, who introduced themselves and spoke with him at length.

Harold Stanley Burrows was born in the small Horowhenua town of Shannon. The name Lofty was given to him later, obviously because of his imposing height. His father, an Australian, worked in the flax mills and in construction.

Lofty played every sport possible at primary school in Shannon before attending secondary school in Palmerston North. However, at age 13 he left school to work in an ice-cream factory. His rugby continued later in Martinborough where he played at senior level and in Wellington where he played for Onslow in the junior grade. In 2008 Lofty told The Guardian, "In Martinborough, you might laugh, they had me as a first five-eight." However, for Onslow he was in his rightful position on the side of the scrum.

Lofty left for the South Island when told of a new working opportunity in the public works scheme in this region. However, he arrived here only to learn that the work on offer was for married men only.

He managed to find alternative employment in the hops industry before he went on to scrubcutting and managing Gordon Rowling's tobacco farm. Later he greatly enjoyed the stability of his job with Unilever.

In 1937 he received a well-publicised rugby injury, breaking his collarbone in a tackle made by his future brother-in-law Harry Fowler. There was extra pain for Lofty when he learned that had it not been for that injury he would have been chosen in the combined side to play the touring Springboks.

In December 1937 Lofty married Alice Fowler who was a fine sportsperson in her own right. They were married four months short of 70 years and had three children, Roy, Darcy and Jenny.

Lofty spent World War 2 as a home serviceman. Service overseas was declined twice because he had children, and declined a third time due to appendicitis. He was devoted to his family and was meticulous at keeping up with the birthdays and sporting endeavours of 10 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren. Many have been Perth-based but their results, too, were required quickly.

Lofty was a great follower of test cricket but no fan of the shorter 'pyjama game'. He always supported Australia in the tests, for the reason his father was Australian, but also because in the earlier years he became addicted to the radio broadcasts of the Australia-England test matches.

As to rugby, he lamented the deterioration of the game and advocated a return to the 2-3-2 scrum.

In 2005, having been hospitalised with angina, Lofty was declared dead for four minutes. However, The Guardian that year recorded that it seemed he didn't much fancy his taste of the afterlife, so back he came - most likely so he wouldn't miss out on the crayfish dinner he was promised when in hospital.

Whether this temporary absence from life meant that technically his birthday celebrations had to be delayed for four minutes, or that because he had died once his first 89 and a bit years were regarded as 'a previous life' and now he was actually only a few months old, was neither here nor there.

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