Dr John Penman was born in Rotowaro in 1913 and studied medicine in Auckland. After 6 years at Waikato Hospital, he became Raglan’s GP in 1944.
From the time he arrived, he endeared himself to all his patients and nothing was too much trouble for him. When asked to comment on his general practice, he said: “A specialist knows a lot about nothing; we know nothing about everything!”.
His patients’ unparalleled faith in not only the medicine, but also the man, is well illustrated in the following anecdote between a patient and Digger’s locum:
Patient: Hey Doc-it’s me-ah-me bowels haven’t been going too good.
Locum: Well now, tell me when did your bowels last move?
Patient: Aw-dunno Doc-maybe 9 or 10 days ago. Hey, just a moment, that don’t sound like Dr Penman?
Locum: Sorry, I’m just the visiting doctor. Dr Penman’s away.
Patient: Oh right. That’s ok Doctor. I’ll be alright until Dr Penman get’s home.
After which, he hung up!
Mrs Penman recalls: “Digger believed, as did his favourite author, Dr Albert Schweitzer, in a reverence for all life. Rather than kill a spider, he would pick it up and deposit it where it would not be hurt. A seabird with a broken wing was given the same care as his human patients.”
His sincere interest and devotion to all his Māori patients was so appreciated that the Penman family were accorded the rare distinction of being made members of the Tainui tribe.
At his packed funeral in 1980 , when Digger died at the age of 67, it was reported that:
“The roaring seas at Raglan mingle with the tears of the Tainui people to say farewell”
His remains were returned to his marae and his ashes were covered with a cloak and interred on the slopes of Karioi, overlooking the sea and the town he served so well.
Taken from an obituary written by Jocelyn Styles in R.T. Vernon’s book, “Raglan”
