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Email in your tribute to:
perkysam@gmail.com

Tributes by
Simon Perkins' Speech

Christchurch Press
Rangi Old Girls Mag
Ken Robinson
Liz Studholme
Lucy Gould
Little Sam
Anne Warden
Rangi Ruru Girls School
Megan Matthews
Joanna Robinson
Vaughan Matthews
Emma and Greg Kelley

Rangi Old Girls Mag

I'm Their Leader - Which Way Did They Go?
Sarah (Buxton) O’Hagan

Sam Perkins – or “Perky Sam” as she came to be known in the later years of her life was named Head Prefect at Rangi Ruru in November 1998. The entire school was packed in to the main assembly hall for the last school meeting of the year. The anticipation was high as to who the new head prefect would be. When Sam’s name was announced, the entire school erupted into an enormous cheer – this was a dream come true!

It’s impossible to describe Sam on paper because she was so much more than a person. I have often thought in the months since her passing that she was perhaps an angel walking amongst us. From a very early age she had an incredible knack to connect with all of her school mates – and later in life her colleagues and friends. In most high school societies there are the cool people…and the not so cool people – and each person has a very clear awareness of where they fit! Sam somehow managed to be considered equally a part of every peer group that existed.

By the time Sam came to her first day on the job as head prefect, I was lucky enough to have developed a close friendship with her. This largely consisted of Sam being late to choir practices, parties, appointments and classes and me incurring the stress and worry on her behalf! So when she arrived to pick me up on the first day of our 7th form year wearing a large cap with two divergent brims that read “I’m their leader – which way did they go?” – I knew I was in for a long year!! But her never ending generosity of spirit and wit made it simply impossible to get cross with her lateness! Inevitably the moment she did arrive anywhere she just made every person in her midst smile and feel good – an instinct that came so naturally to her.

Some of our favorite memories were from the music room with Miss Drummond.
I can picture so clearly picture her sitting in double music, writing long and detailed notes to me about boys, and that perky little smile running across her face when Miss Drummond yelled out,

Sarah and CO will you stop TALKING!”

Every bloody time…it was the Co doing the talking and the Sarah getting the hit for it. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

Poor Miss Drummond was tireless in her patience for our antics. During Thursday night chorale practices it was a common ritual to take our strict 3 minute break (!) and see if we could run to the car, drive to the dairy and fill our faces with cream eggs within the allotted 3 minutes. Every week we would arrive back late and get reprimanded for it – and every week Sam would justify to us that we were simply “sneaking through holes in our wide sky shelter to seek the heavenly things” and that made it OK!

Sam left Rangi at the end of 1989 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree at Massey University before being accepted into the School of Medicine at Auckland University at the age of 20. It was during the last year of her medical studies that she was diagnosed with Hodgkins Disease. For many, this diagnosis would be a sad reason to miss out on many of the life experiences that a young New Zealander might have. For Sam, it just gave her more inspiration to get the most out of every day in her life.

During her illness Sam traveled to such places as Mexico, India and Nepal, and took up medical positions in both Auckland and London.

Sam returned to New Zealand in late 2001 and upon hearing the news that her illness was proving too tough for Western Medicine, she began a wonderful spiritual journey that culminated in her exploration of mind body medicine at the Gawler Institute in Melbourne.

She learned much about her own ability to extend her life and at the same time taught all those around her so much about life. Even though Sam was in New Zealand while many of her close friends were overseas, she used her wonderful letter writing and “telephone marathon” skills to keep us updated with often hilarious accounts of her daily experiences.

I have to share a couple of excerpts from her – just because they are so SAM!!

Thursday, Feb 21, 2002
TO: Sezkiwi
FROM: Perkysam


I will be entering my marrow in the cust county fare, it is just unstoppable. Yesterday managed the magic 0.5 neutrophils which means out of isolation. Today they are 1.1 and I am going home. I can’t believe it. Shortly I will walk outside into the gardens, look up at whoever is in charge and thank them for the Chch easterly on my face and for my big chance. I will promise to live well and to make them proud.
Here I go, koru is around my neck for my new beginning, you are with me sissy. Thank you for your magic injection of kick arse success, only you are able and I have felt you here all the way.


Your silver girl.


May 15th 2003

I ended up in hospital for the whole week which was a great sort out and back on track session. The breathing was getting ridiculous, showering really difficult, walking a few steps at a time and sleeping aeroplane style sitting up. I worked hard at trying to adopt a meandering, nonchalant gait so as to avoid old lady gasping style image but just can’t pull it off. I’m a fast uptight little walker and that’s just it. Slow walkers annoy me.

I had another scan, which basically showed that since the last one 3 weeks ago, the bottoms of my lungs had collapsed and I’d collected lots of fuid in the plennial space – no wonder I couldn’t breathe! So they stuck a needle between my ribs at the back, attached it to a tube and a big plastic bladder and out poured over two litres of straw colored fluid – Sissy it was a Cook’s Chasseur moment!
I was transformed to Andy’s jetty, there we were – you in the pink bathers, plastic glasses out and a bladder of straw coloured fluid sitting there on the deck. I remember it feeling good going in – we became wittier, more and more attractive and slimmer in our 80s togs as the Cooks Chasseur seeped into our skin, but I can tell you, it feels pretty good coming out too, my shoulders dropped for the first time in weeks.

I can not believe my good fortune to have spent so much of my life so close to Sam. From our days in Rangi’s Wide Sky Shelter to the times screaming along the I-10 to Palm Springs, music blasting, singing at the top of our voices and laughing all the way.

I have complete confidence that the journey with Sam has really only just begun. I know that she will find her own little way of turning up to all our great reunions and making us laugh some more. I know I have done so much more in my life as a result of the inspiration she has given me. Her journey has been breath taking to watch and inspiring to participate in.

She wrote me an email after my wedding that seems to resonate with the place her friends and family have been since she left us:

“The feeling of being surrounded by love, support and help with practical difficulties you describe is a very real one. Treasure it but believe it. Always there and rock solid, to be used. The world is a small place, geography is a minor inconvenience at times, and the things that really matter are always first and foremost.

This willing commitment between friends doesn’t ever go away, and does not require the glamour of a beautiful occasion to be expressed and acted on.

These words all mean action. We would do anything for each other – that is the way it is. I have had a long spell on the receiving end and can never quite believe the sheer goodness of friends.

We will never quite believe the sheer goodness of her.

Arohanui Sam.

Sarah (Buxton) O’Hagan

(For those interested in donating to the Gawler Foundation, please go to www.gawler.asn.au )