Lewis Pass crash: Family mourn a talented, polite, passionate young man

Family and friends of a young man who died travelling home for the long weekend are mourning the loss of a valued community member.

Patrick Honey, 20, died on Friday as he travelled back to his family in Collingwood, Tasman, for King’s Birthday weekend.

Honey was driving on State Highway 7, near Island Hills between the Hanmer Springs turnoff and Engineers Camp, at about 4.45pm when his car and another collided.

Inquiries into the circumstances of the crash are under way, a police spokesperson said on Friday.

Family friend and Honey’s former teacher Erihapeti McPherson said she’d watched Honey grow up.

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Speaking on behalf of Honey’s father Bryan Honey, and his two sisters Zoe, 22, and Bianca, 16, McPherson said Honey had grown into a talented, mature, and polite young man.

“He was a real bright mature kid, helping people by being encouraging, he’s just an all-round nice, well-balanced young man, very mature for his age, cheeky smile.

“He’s going to be really sorely missing in this community because he was such a stand-out kid.”

Honey had been living in Christchurch with some friends finding work as a welder, McPherson said.

“Patrick was an incredibly skilful young man right from an early age at welding, and he could fix anything,” McPherson said.

“Very, very skilled at mechanical engineering.”

He had been head boy at Te Kura o Aorere Collingwood Area School, where his passion and talent for welding was fostered by family friend, dean and head of the workshop Lloyd McPherson, McPherson’s brother.

Lloyd, who is good friends with Honey’s father Bryan, said Honey was an integral member of the school.

“Very, very bright young man with a bright young future in engineering.

“His passion was in metal, he was exceptionally talented at making metal work from forging knives all the way through to working on his cars.”

He said Honey was a huge help in the workshop, with manners and drive that was rare to see.

“Patrick was like my second in charge of the tech room for about four years because it’s the kind of guy he was – first to start sweeping and last to sweep.

“He was always interested in showing other students the work that he had done and how to do it.”

Honey was involved in the top of the South Island schools competition, where he played sports, in particular Kī o Rahi which was a traditional Māori sport, he said.

Lloyd remembered when Honey helped him carry a touch stone from the Marble Creek to the school.

A touch stone is a Māori stone that is placed at the front of a place where people touch to add their.

“He was the young man that carried the stone out, which was like, maybe 45kgs out in the shoulder for like two kilometres down a riverbed,” he said.

“He was just like, committed to wanting to be a part of it.”

While Honey wasn’t Māori, the McPhersons were helping his family prepare for Honey’s return by working with them to build his casket, Erihapeti said.

“Lloyd’s currently carving the nameplate for Patrick’s casket. Patrick’s sister Bianca has woven the handles from harakeke.

“We do this, my family do this as a way to support whānau … so that Patrick’s taken care of by people who loved him.”

A Givealittle page was created for Honey’s father Bryan and his two sisters to help them prepare for Honey’s tangi, bring his body home from Christchurch, and support the family while they grieve his loss.

Honey’s father is a single father and a local businessman who works as a civil engineer on farms in the local area, so taking time off to organise and be with his family means not having an income, McPherson said.

Any assistance people could spare for the Honey’s was appreciated, she said.

Honey’s tangi will be at Te Kura o Aorere Collingwood Area School on Saturday at 2pm.