Longtime educator Malcolm Cox was honoured with a traditional Maori welcome last week back to the school he served for more than three decades – as a teacher, then deputy principal and finally the principal for 15 years before his retirement.
His unique, grainy coffin – fashioned by his sons from old matai just the week before the funeral – was draped in a feathered cloak, reflecting leadership and the respect with which he was held, said local kaumatua Russell Riki.
Hundreds crowded the area school hall for the Thursday night ceremony.
“It shows the input this man had on Raglan, towards Port Waikato, Kawhia and into Hamilton,” Russell added. “He had a passion for his community and aroha for you all.”
One of Malcolm’s sons, Jamie, told those gathered how the family’s Scottish heritage of service to clan and community did indeed “shape my father’s whole life”; and that despite coming from a broken home himself Malcolm worked hard to raise a family with love and care.
He said that with six sons and a daughter, Annie Rose, his parents built their life around the school and the secure base of their familiar coral-coloured home in Norrie Ave. The house, which grew to accommodate them all, was open to a steady stream of visitors paying their respects for three days prior to the funeral.
Malcolm loved education and was known in particular as a gifted maths teacher, Jamie added.
He was also non-discriminatory, embracing “all races, colours and creeds”.
In later life he completed a degree in Maori Visual Arts at Te Wananga o Aotearoa which, Jamie revealed, opened up a whole world his father’s soul “ached for”. Malcolm became a man who shaped wood and stone, driven by a thirst for knowledge and always in pursuit of history.
His extended whanau also told of a man who was interested in everything from Maori lore to crafting, building and gardening. There was the rest stop, which came to be dubbed the ‘God bless Malcolm’ seat, which he built leading up to the family’s inter-generational bach high on a cliff on Waiheke Island, for instance.
A nephew remembered how that simple seat captured the essence of who his uncle was – how his kindness and generosity showed up in his creations. “He did for others, he gave to others.”
“He was our rock,” his brother said, also recalling various bach projects Malcolm led and completed. He played a “unique” role in this family, added a sister-in-law, speaking of his empathy towards others and his diplomacy.
Another former Raglan Area School principal, Clive Hamill, spoke of Malcolm – his deputy for 10 years – as a “passionate educator” who demonstrated his heart and manaakitanga, as well as offering him friendship and support during his principalship. “I am thankful to Malcolm for his impact on my life and on the community,” Clive said.
Former area school student and teacher Te Whaiwhaia Ritchie – now a principal himself – credited Malcolm for having “opened the door for me in teaching and so much more”. They didn’t get off to a very good start, he joked, Te Whaiwhaia ended up more often than not in Matua Malcolm’s office for misdeeds.
But it was Malcolm who later encouraged him into a permanent position and provided a role model in the teaching profession. Te Whaiwhaia described Malcolm’s role from principal to master carver as “truly inspirational …“
“He walked the walk, and he lived by the bicultural tradition of this kura.”
