TR Group is remembering fellow team member and “dearly loved friend” Peter Sowman who died on Saturday following a “short but brave battle with cancer”.
He passed away peacefully, aged 59, at his home in Pukehina surrounded by family and friends.
He was well known in the industry, having spent many years with Waste Management, NZL, TDL and TR Group for the last seven years.
TR Group general manager Brendan King says he “will forever be remembered for his love of the people around him, a good yarn, a party, a dance and most of all for treating everyone he met with respect and care”.
“Pete was also a very talented athlete having played representative rugby and competed all over the world in Ironmans, Marathons and Ocean Swims. In fact, up until he fell unwell, Pete was training to become the oldest person to swim the Cook Strait,” he says.
“In recent times Pete had found his happy place with a house on the beach at Pukehina and re-locating with TR to run our branch in Mt Maunganui.
“In the short space of time he was there he had made many great friends in the Mt and had created a wonderful atmosphere and culture at the branch.
“We will forever treasure the memory of Pete and the amazing ability he had to make us feel special and happy when he entered the room.
“The world is a lesser place for his passing but we will hold dear his memory and the impact he had on our lives forever,” King says.
*Friends are invited to join the family to celebrate Pete’s life at Bucklands Beach Yacht Club, Half Moon Bay at 1pm on Friday, April 23.
