In Loving Memory of Max — Supporting His Whānau

Our community has lost a great man.

On Friday 5 December, Wayne Maxwell — known fondly to most as Max — passed away after a courageous two-and-a-half-year battle with cancer.

Max was one of those rare people whose presence shaped a community. In every aspect of his life he was loyal and generous, Max would give the shirt off his back to a stranger in need and he had a way of making people feel welcome, supported, and seen. For decades, he quietly strengthened the fabric of our community through his presence and character, and now we have an opportunity to show up for him.

Max leaves behind his loving whānau Danielle, Aaron, Aliya and Tai. As this family navigates both their grief and the immediate pressures that come with funeral costs and life after losing someone so central to their world, we would love to ease some of that burden in any way we can.

Anyone who knew Max knows he was a proud man. He was never one to ask for help for himself — but everything he did was for his family. In that spirit, this page has been created not for Max, but for those he loved most, to support them through this heartbreaking time.

Every koha, big or small, will go directly toward funeral expenses and helping the whānau find their feet in the days and weeks ahead.

Your support means more than we can express, and it is a reflection of just how deeply Max was cherished. Thank you for standing with his whānau, and for honouring the life of a great man who gave so much of himself to his community.