Aspen Initiative New Zealand launch Hakitekura, February 2019

I had the pleasure of meeting Sir Eion for the first time at his home overlooking Lake Wakatipu in September 2018 as part of our feasibility study of becoming an international partner of the Aspen Institute, to be based in Queenstown. Sir Eion immediately embraced the plan with his trademark enthusiasm and became a driving force in raising awareness and support, alongside Co-patrons Sir Don McKinnon and Helen Clark. In October 2018, Sir Eion became a Director of the Aspen Initiative New Zealand Ltd and our first Founding Supporter.

With the help of his renowned leadership and ability to bring people along with him, we soon became an official partner of the Aspen Institute in April 2019. Today, from our home base in Queenstown, we hold non-partisan forums on critical issues and have an extensive global reach, linking with 12 other partners and the Aspen Institute in Washington DC. True to form, Sir Eion continued to work selflessly and with gusto to leave the world a better place until he could no longer.

We will dearly miss his wisdom, his cheery greetings, and huge generosity of spirit.

Eion, you gave it your all. Thank you.

Your friends,

Christine and the Aspen New Zealand team

I was very saddened to hear of Sir Eion Edgar's passing and my thoughts and sympathy go out to all his family. It was a real privilege to have known Sir Eion over more than 20 years and witness the many generous actions he took to benefit so many people.

Sir Eion was a people person, he engaged easily ‘from the common people to kings’. Few philanthropists would have had such a wide range of giving, which highlighted that it wasn't so much the project that Eion decided to help, but the level of enthusiasm and competence of those who would make it work.

Many were the beneficiaries of this characteristic.

My work with Sir Eion within the NZ Dementia Prevention Trust and Aspen NZ were testament to his commitment to worthwhile causes. It was a great pleasure to work with he and Jan over many years. Not just in Dunedin and Queenstown but throughout the country, a great man will be missed.

Sir Don McKinnon