It is often said that sleep is short death and death is long sleep.
I would like to believe that Roger Kerr (Executive Director of the Wellington based Business Round Table) has had short death and that he would return to work in a week or two and call us to say that he was sending his article for the next issue of Indian Newslink within the hour.
But Death plays a nasty game with us mortals, making us helpless observers, incapable of reversing its moves.
The death of Roger on the night of October 28 to metastatic melanoma left a void which would be hard to fill.
For, the man raised the debate on free enterprise through free economic policies and programmes with passion. He believed that individual talent can be harnessed for collective benefit provided that such talent was allowed to flourish freely. He believed in self-dependence, self-governance and self-discipline.
Less than six months ago, when I wrote to him about the launch of the Indian Newslink Sir Anand Satyanand Lecture, his response was enthusiastic. He readily circulated the information to the members of the Round Table and others on his contact list, but regretted his inability to accept our invitation to be present at the Lecture held on July 4, 2011 at Stamford Plaza Hotel.
“I wish I could be present but, you never know,” he said, enigmatically. But by then, he and many of us knew the harsh fact – that he was afflicted with Cancer and that it was a matter of time, although we believed that he would be with us at least for a few more years.
Roger was a regular contributor to Indian Newslink and his articles (mostly on business and occasionally on education) always enlisted reader reaction.
He had long innings in the New Zealand Government (Treasury, Foreign Affairs and Electricity Corporation) before joining the Business Round Table.
That was 25 years ago – he was the first and only person to hold that post.
It may have been easy to differ on issues with Roger, but it was never easy to break away from him. He was firm on principles and gentle on relationships.
He was, in a sense, one of a kind.
Prime Minister John Key reflected those thoughts in his condolence message.
“While I did not always agree with Roger’s view on economic policy, i have always shared his driving aspiration for New Zealand to build a stronger economy based on a vibrant business sector. That was what Roger was all about over so many years,” Mr Key said.
Many others have recounted their experiences with Roger but none of them would have let their eyes grow dry.
Have you ever seen a grown-up man cry?
Many of us did as we heard the dreaded news.
