A mighty totara has fallen

Takoto mai e te rangtira kua mau kawakawa te tihi o Aoraki maunga. E tangi hotu te ngākau o tō whānau o Core i tō wehenga atu me te māuiui kua kawe e koe i ngā tau tata. Makere atu i ngā mamaetanga ka aro tō titiro i ngā mahi papai kua mahia e koe tēnei mātou e mihi.

Ka rere hoki te mihi ki tōna whānau ki a Ronnie ki ōna tamariki kia piki te ora me te māramatanga ki a rātou.

It is with the deepest sadness and respect for a splendid friend, trusted colleague, and hugely loved "original" of our company, that we write to say that Dr Vince Ham has passed away at home today, surrounded by the love and thoughts of his family and friends.

Vince's last days have been in the company of his wider whānau as well as his closest blended family and Ronnie who all love him dearly. His fight against cancer and its effects have taken their toll on his body while he remained with us, a man of enormous strength, integrity, and foresight. We know that the messages of support and the shared memories from our team have also been reflected in the massive response from the many friends and colleagues who he has touched in some way over the years. Vince was planning, thinking, caring, and loving throughout the past months, weeks and days, with a strength that was amazing and so very typical of him throughout his life with us.

As we remember Vince we see the mark of the man printed in the soul of our company. He has been the guardian of our vision, and of the values upon which the company is based. There will, as long as CORE exists, remain that imprint of a great man, with a huge love of life and a wide and inclusive vision for learning and education, at the heart of our company.

Our loss of Vince is profound, and our hearts go out to his wife Ronnie and his wider family/whānau right now. A mighty totara has fallen in the forest of Tane. We all share the loss and send our love and thoughts.

Ngā mihi aroha ki a koutou

CORE Education Staff