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8th November 2010

Special tribute from John Pizarro on the passing of Raymond Hart

Raymond Hart

New Zealand karting legend Raymond Hart

I would like to tell you all about Raymond Hart and his funeral. It was a very sad occasion for me to attend Raymond’s funeral on Friday November 5.

The funeral was held at the Baptist church in Palmerton North at 1pm. The church has a capacity of about 500. It was full and in fact overflowing, with people from all walks of life coming to pay their respects to the 7 times New Zealand karting champion. Whilst karting was Raymond’s passion and his business it was not his only interest, he was a keen soccer player and like most kiwis he was fanatical about rugby. The All Blacks had a special place in Raymond’s heart. The congregation was made up of a huge variety of people, some very young some very old and a lot of 40 to 65 year olds.

When Raymond told me that his illness was terminal back in February he had been given two months to live. The fact that he made it past his 60th birthday on October 27 is great testament to his determination and the power of prayer.

We went to the Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne in March where we met a number of old friends including Ash Sparks (one of the best kart drivers that NZ has produced), Mark Webber, Greg Murphy, Craig Baird, Dick Johnson and many others.

Raymond and his wife Christine came to Parkes after the GP where he was a guest at my Rotary club at our weekly meeting. As always Raymond fitted in to the local scene with ease and when I asked the board of directors to consider approving a raffle to benefit Raymond’s wife Christine they had no hesitation in approving it.

Raymond and Christine stopped over at Ian Allen’s place in Sydney on their way back to New Zealand. Ian has been very kind and has helped with his support of the program for Raymond’s wife Christine.

The funeral was conducted by the Rev Edwin Clarke who had the entire congregation’s total attention for the one hour long service. There was not a, murmur from anyone until they all broke into unrestrained applause after Raymond’s eldest son Brendon had delivered his tribute to his father. Tributes were also given by his daughter Kimberly and his wife Christine, who’s tribute was read by her daughter Georgette.

Raymond’s two former wives Denise, who is Brandon’s mother and Lynette, who is Josh, Fraser and Kimberly’s mother were both at the funeral and at the wake at the kart track afterwards. His family were all there. Son Josh returned home from Italy where he is working and racing on the previous Sunday just in time to say goodbye to his father. Raymond’s father Hap (Alan) led the family contingent who are all as devoted to Raymond as his many friends are.

Of interest to many of you was the attendance of Kerry and Glenys Rowe from Auckland, Kerry Moore from the Gold Coast and many more.

Whilst Raymond was not known personally to the Minister he was well informed about Raymond and his activities. He did a first class job of sending Raymond on his way to heaven. I told Raymond in an email that I sent to him just before he died that he had won that race. I also told him that I would catch up with him in due course but that I was not in a hurry to do so.

The service at the cemetery was a very moving affair with family members as pallbearers while Ash Sparks and I were directly behind the coffin as we took the short journey from the hearse to the gravesite. I must tell you all that before the funeral Raymond did his last lap around the kart track in the hearse at a great rate of knots. I don’t think the hearse has ever gone around a corner as fast as it did at the kart track. I was told that Raymond must have rolled over on his side during the lap of the track because the coffin was quite heavy on one side after that.

In keeping with Raymond’s tradition the coffin was big and bold. It was bigger than a normal coffin and it was black and shiny with plenty of chrome parts on it. It was Raymond to a Tea, just like some of the cars he had in the early days.

After the service we all went out to the club house at the kart track where a very nice evening was organised to celebrate the life of a great man. The floral tributes were just superb and the written communications came from all over the world, including the Hunter family from Melbourne, Drew Price and staff, also from Melbourne, the 1977 world karting champion Lake Speed from the U.S.A., the Australian Karting Association, Harm Schuman from the Netherlands just to name but a few.

I had been given instructions from many people to convey their sympathy and best wishes to the family and they included The 1973 world karting champion Terry Fullerton, and so many others it would take forever to record here. It has been a great privilege to have known a man like Leslie Raymond Allister Hart.

The world is a better place and all those people who new him are that much better off by his influence.

Good by my great and dear friend, we will meat again in heaven

JP (15)

Ray Hart