John (Albert) Mickell
1932 - 2023
Born in Wellington and the eldest of nine, John farmed from an early age before compulsory military training and marriage to Bett Burgess in 1953. After sharemilking around the Waikato and Bay of Plenty, they bought a dairy farm at Ōpōtiki in 1969, later developing kiwifruit orchards at Bethlehem and Katikati.
Competitive and community-minded, John was a longtime Lions member and an accomplished “tennis nut”: a Waikato junior, who later represented New Zealand Masters teams overseas. He held multiple life memberships, served on national committees and in 2006 received the “John Mickell Trophy” for service to tennis.
In 2008, John established the John Mickell Charitable Trust to help New Zealand players with limited means compete in Masters World Teams Championships overseas, a legacy that continues.
The John Mickell Fund increases participation in Western Bay of Plenty sport, supporting coaching, promotion and athletes or teams who would otherwise lack funds to compete.
