Tributes flow in for beloved New Zealand presenter after his death aged 82
Tributes have poured in for veteran New Zealand journalist and broadcaster Bob McNeil, who has died aged 82.
Bob, who worked at TV3 for 20 years as a reporter and presenter, died on December 30 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
As news of the award-winning journalist’s death broke, colleges and viewers took to social media to pay their tributes.
Bob’s daughter Sacha McNeil, herself a reporter for TVNZ, shared a sweet post on Instagram in honor of her late father.
Sacha posted a duo of photos of Bob and remembered her father as ‘brave’ and ‘good-humoured’.
“Words were always daddy’s thing. Memories. Stories. Listening to others. But he would not have written the last part of his story of his own accord,” she wrote.
Tributes poured in for veteran New Zealand journalist and broadcaster Bob McNeil, who has died aged 82
“And yet, after a long, courageous but always good-natured battle with Alzheimer’s, he called the time when he was ready.”
‘As The Beatles noted “…in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”‘
Sacha continued: ‘Daddy will bring so much love with him.’
‘Our kind, creative, funny, gentle, sparkling father is finally free and resting as he deserves. We will all miss you every day, Dad.”
Sacha’s message was met with an outpouring of condolences from friends, followers and colleagues.’
Bob’s TV3 (now known as Three) colleague Samantha Hayes remembered Bob as a ‘joy’.
“Bob was always so happy to be in the newsroom,” she wrote.
‘His unique style of storytelling, full of empathy and humor. Sending lots of love.”
Bob, who worked at TV3 for 20 years as a reporter and presenter, died on December 30 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Pictured: Bob’s 2014 autobiography
One follower summed up the sentiment of many, replying: ‘Beautiful words for a beautiful man. Sending all our love to you and your family.”
1 News reporter Barbara Dreaver also remembered Bob as “a damn fine journalist and a gentleman.”
Similarly, TV and radio reporter Donna-Marie Lever said: ‘Very sad news. Always so beautiful in the field and a class act.’
Speaking with the New Zealand heraldSacha revealed why she believed Bob had such an impact on audiences.
“I think because people could identify with this little boy from Taranaki, who fought for the underdog and had a sparkle in his eye,” she told the publicity.
‘He was genuine, he loved people and he loved hearing their stories. His warmth was evident on television,” she said.
Bob was born in Wellington in 1942 and began his journalism career at the Taranaki Daily News in New Plymouth after leaving school.
Bob’s daughter Sacha McNeil (pictured), herself a reporter for TVNZ, took to Instagram to share a sweet tribute to her late father
He then obtained his teaching qualification and eventually worked as a teacher for seven years, also in Great Britain.
After returning to New Zealand with his wife Jeanette, Bob worked in radio for many years.
However, it was his work on TV3 for which he is most fondly remembered, starting with the channel at its premiere in 1989 until his retirement in 2010.
Bob also published an autobiography, News Tales, in 2014.