Douglas and Louise Caird

Louise was born in Edinburgh shortly after the end of WW1. She was educated in Edinburgh and graduated as a nurse in 1943 and took two further nursing degrees.

Douglas was born in Carlisle, England and educated in Edinburgh. He qualified in medicine in 1945.

They were married in 1946. After service in the RAF, they emigrated to New Zealand and Douglas served in the Royal NZ Air Force for five years.

After a little globetrotting they settled in Otaki in 1955. Unfortunately, the medical partnership was not happy, and in January 1961 they moved to Te Puke where Douglas practiced full time for 28 years and part time for a further 5 years.

Louise became involved in the community as she was on the Fairhaven School Board for 6 years, the Board of Governors for the High School for 9 years, and a Borough Councillor for 9 years. She became a Justice of the Peace and a Marriage Celebrant. At the time of setting up their fund, they had been married for 66 years and were still talking to each other!

Douglas died in July 2013 at age 89, and Louise died in October 2014 at 95.

Distributions from their fund are made each year to Waipuna Hospice, The Salvation Army, Save the Children NZ, with a portion left unrestricted for the community.