Peter Gordon, politician 26 July – June Westbury, politician 30 July – Eric Grinstead, sinologist, Tangutologist August 4 August – Patricia Hook, religious sister, nurse and hospital administrator 5 August – Colin McLeod, civil engineer 6 August – Jack Monaghan, wrestler 7 August – Miraka Szászy, Māori leader 14 August Donald Burns, cricket umpire Ken Ruby, wrestler 21 August – Doreen Lumley, athlete 26 August – Bob Owens, businessman, politician, mayor of Tauranga (1968–77) September 2 September – Diana Isaac, conservationist, businesswoman, philanthropist 3 September – Oonah Shannahan, netball player 4 September – Bruce Biggs, Māori studies academic 14 September – Colin Johnstone, rower 19 September – Michael Noonan, novelist, radio and television scriptwriter 25 September – Robert Muldoon, politician 28 September Morrie Goddard, rugby union player Bruce Mason, playwright 29 September – John Ritchie, composer, orchestral founder and conductor, music academic 30 September – Jim Macdonald, naval officer, civil engineer, inventor October 3 October – Eldred Stebbing, record label founder and owner 7 October – Desmond O'Donnell, rugby union player 9 October – Tom Marshall, Christian writer 10 October – Harvey Sweetman, World War II pilot 13 October – Earle Riddiford, lawyer and mountaineer 18 October – Kingi Ihaka, Anglican priest, broadcaster, Māori leader 23 October – Colin Allan, colonial administrator, diplomat 29 October – Jack Warcup, mycologist November 4 November – William Tyree, electrical engineer, businessman, philanthropist 6 November – Geoff Rabone, cricketer 8 November – Gordon Mason, local-body politician 11 November – Buddy Corlett, softball and basketball player 17 November – Bruce Irwin, botanist 20 November Arthur Faulkner, politician Dick Matthews, plant virologist December 3 December – Cyril Belshaw, anthropologist 8 December Dot McNab, military administrator, political organizer Bob Walton, police officer 11 December – David Baldwin, lawn bowls player 24 December – Vincent Bevan, rugby union player 29 December – Ngoi Pēwhairangi, songwriter, Māori language teacher and advocate Deaths January–March 19 January – Frank Lawry, politician (born 1839) 7 February – Bella Button, horse driver and trainer, equestrian (born 1863) 23 February – J. T. Marryat Hornsby, politician, newspaper editor and proprietor (born 1857) 27 February – Sir James Prendergast, lawyer, politician, jurist (born 1826) 9 March – Walter Powdrell, politician (born 1872) 10 March – Henry Brown, saw miller, politician (born 1842) 21 March – Samuel Moreton, artist, explorer (born 1844) April–June 4 April – Mary Jane Milne, milliner, businesswoman (born 1840) 19 April –