Rex Kerr lives in a cosy villa in a Paraparaumu retirement village with his wife Elizabeth but Ōtaki is never far from their thoughts.

They lived in the township for 47 years before moving south recently.

“We still look upon Ōtaki as home although we live here, and that’s not denigrating this place at all, but that’s where we put our soul into while we lived there.”

Kerr was Ōtaki College principal for 21 years, coached many college rugby teams, and authored five books to celebrate the township.

His love of rugby led him to roles with the New Zealand Secondary Schools Rugby Union, Hurricanes Youth Council, Rāhui Football and Sports Association, and Horowhenua-Kāpiti Rugby Football Union.

Now, Kerr has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the community and rugby in the King’s Birthday Honours.

“I feel both honoured and humbled to receive the award recognising my achievements as I am aware of the many other people who worked hard for their communities but are not recognised.”

Kerr said his passion for education was instilled by his mother Myra “who never had an education but sensed it was important”.

“She had to leave school at 12 to look after her younger siblings.”

After gaining an MA (Hons), he became a teacher at Colenso High School and Wairoa College, in Hawke’s Bay, before being appointed Ōtaki College principal in 1975, at the age of 39, making him one of the youngest to be appointed into such a role.

Kerr’s highlights at the college were establishing a bilingual unit (later total immersion unit), appointing quality staff when teachers were in short supply, establishing the Weraroa unit for severely disabled students which integrated them into normal school life, and founding a Tuesday forum group.

Kerr has always had a passion for sport, especially rugby and cricket, which was instilled by his father Ken.

“He used to coach rugby and would throw me on the bar of his bike and take me off to training, and games on Saturday, when I was quite small.

“It was his love of sport, and his involvement, that carried over naturally to me.

Kerr also had an appreciation of those who gave their time to help teams too.

“When I started teaching, I coached both cricket and rugby.”

He recalled taking the Wairoa College 1st XV to Fiji in 1975.

“It required fundraising of $14,000 which was a vast amount to achieve in Wairoa at that time.

“Most of the boys had never been beyond Gisborne and Napier.

“The boys were feted throughout Fiji.

“The boys and their families have never forgotten this trip which was also well supported by the community.

Kerr believed coaching sports was an important part of teaching.

“You got to know the students and they saw you in an entirely different way. I think the good relationships I’ve had with students is because of that.”

Kerr, who was a Rotarian for many years, was inducted into the Ōtaki College Hall of Fame last year in recognition of his service to the college and community, and, some years ago, was awarded a Kāpiti District Council Civic Award for dedicated and outstanding services to the district.