Former 2-term Thames Coromandel Mayor Chris Lux has died aged 75 after a two-year battle with cancer.
Mr Lux, also a former Hauraki Federated Farmers Chairman, won the Mayoralty in 1998. His landslide victory saw him come from virtually nowhere to take over 50 percent of the vote after a short hard-hitting humorous campaign to oust 3-term Mayor Alasdair Thompson.
Former local MP and Mayor, Sandra Goudie, says Mr Lux excelled at resolving long standing issues of Council, and forging solid friendships across the political spectrum.
He belonged to the Resource Users Group – fighting district and regional council regulatory madness. He treasured his success in securing $330,000 from the government for clean up after the June 2002 weather bomb.
And he achieved success with the Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs.
“Chris had a mischievous sense of humour and delighted in participating in all sorts of community activities,” Mrs Goudie says, “especially being Elvis Presley at a Mercury Bay Area School fundraiser. He was also well-known for wearing red shoes.”
Mr Lux was living with his American-born wife Deete in Arizona when he was diagnosed and began treatment there for cancer two years ago. He returned to NZ to spend his last few months at home with family at his coastal property in Tuateawa, northern Coromandel, where he farmed, developed a community and built a coastal walkway that he donated to Council.
A talented songwriter and performer, his music will background his funeral at Twentymans in Thames at 11.00am, Wednesday 19 August. Red shoes will adorn his coffin.
