The Tauranga based Hauraki 6 Battalion of the New Zealand Army is in mourning following the Thursday afternoon funeral of Brigadier Edward Paul ‘Ted' Dean.
Ted Dean, ONZM, E.D, A.D.C, died at his Tauranga home on Saturday, January 8 after a short illness. He was aged 64 years and four months.
Brigadier Ted Dean's funeral began at Holy Trinity Church on Devonport Road and finished at the Pyes Pa cemetery.
Ted is survived by his wife for almost 39 years, Christine, and children Paul, Ryan, Andrew and Rebecca; and granddaughter Lilith.
Ted's association with the Hauraki group began after he completed his compulsory military training in 1967.
He remained with 6 Battalion (Hauraki) RNZIR coming up through the ranks before being commissioned in 1975.
The processecion at the cemetery involved the casket being carried on a gun carriage.
Ted gained a reputation for meticulous planning and skilful leadership of his troops.
Following his appointment as the Haurakis' commanding officer, Ted planned many imaginative and successful field exercises with 6 Hauraki, and also led Hauraki contingents on successful overseas joint exercises in Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and Hawaii.
As Brigadier, Ted was appointed Territorial Force Adviser – the highest position available to an officer in the Territorial Army.
The Brigadier was saluted in military fashion.
Ted, himself a former school cadet, chaired the Cadet Corps Association of NZ as well as serving on the National Cadet Council and being patron of the local unit.
A strong advocate of the Territorial Forces both within the Army and wider community, Ted chaired the Bay of Plenty-Waikato Employer Support Group, which encourages employers to make staff members available for military training.
In civilian life Ted was manager of financial operations for the Ministry of Social Development's National Accounting Centre.
Ted played rugby for Otumoetai Cadets and the Hauraki regiment and held a strong interest in motorsport, racing minis in the early 1970s.
The Brigadier's impact was generational as respected by a haka performed by young cadets.
1 comment
Farewell to a top bloke.
Posted on 14-01-2011 17:28 | By The author of this comment has been removed.
When I joined the Haurakis around 1984 Ted was then the Captain in charge of Support Company. I was in the Reconnaissance Platoon which Ted came up through and was his 1st charge after his commission so he treated it as his baby. Reccon then was (and still is) so much fun. We got to do SAS type stuff, play with all the latest toys and carry the BFG's. Ted would dream up all sorts of immaginative missions to send us on. We were the 1st to invade Matakana island. He sent us to South Canterbury to study the flora and fauna of the Hakataramea valley and promptly set fire to this priceless piece of paradise. (our fault not his) He definately wasn't a stuck-up know-it-all like a lot of Officers were (and probably still are.) Even in Civvy Street he wold stop and talk with me and be genuinely interested in what I was up too. Farewell Old Friend, your up there with General Sir Bernard Ferguson and Corporal Willie Apiata in 6th Hauraki Battalion's history in my book Sir!
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