That is very sad news. This site is the best genealogy resource on the net as far as I am concerned - how fortunate for those of us who have Forest roots. I have learned more about my Forest beginnings here than I ever did from my family.

So, a huge thank you to David, and his family who must have supported him in his labours.

Kua hinga he totara i te wao nui a Tane (A totara has fallen in the forest of Tane).

This proverb is said when someone of importance passes away. Tane is the Māori god of the forest. A totara (a native tree of New Zealand) is a huge tree that grows for hundreds of years. When one falls, it is a great tragedy. Even though David did not come from NZ, the proverb is appropriate, because he came from a great forest.