Raising money to pay John Pell's funeral costs.
Wellington
John Pell, music promoter, driver, raconteur and rogue, died sometime between 31 May and 3 June 2026 in Wellington. His mother and his friends expect to be waiting for weeks (if not months) for the coroner to make a ruling as to time and cause of death. A private funeral and cremation was held for John on 18 June.
John went bankrupt last November and incurred further debts since then. He had sold or pawned nearly all of his possessions, and had no available funds that those close to him are aware of. This page has been set up to help cover the costs of the funeral.
A memorial and fundraising event will be held at Afters on Dixon Street on Saturday 4 July for invited friends (koha, from 6pm) and the public (ticketed, from 9pm); thanks to the Laundry crew.
Anyone attending that event, or who cannot attend but wish to help, can use this page to leave messages about John, and donate towards the funeral costs.
I knew John for over 30 years, and was close to him for the last five years. I admired his entrepreneurial spirit, his generosity, intelligence and humour, and passion for music. I did what I could to help as life became harder for him.
Funeral and associated costs.
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