OBITUARY The mighty totara has fallen
DALZELL, Zane Leahy (ZLD), 26 February 1927 – 7 July 2018, Aged 91
Zane was born in humble surroundings just before the Great Depression and, after winning an academic scholarship, began a lifelong relationship with Christ’s College.
He would have been an imposing figure around College as a pupil, athlete and rugby player for the 1st XV. After completing his BSc at Canterbury University (at that time, over the road from College) majoring in botany, and playing a lot of varsity rugby, he returned to College as a Biology teacher, coaching 1st XV rugby and encouraging the growth of athletics. He later completed his MSc researching alpine plants. His love of varsity rugby continued with the Old Maroons for another 70 years. Zane quickly gained a reputation as an incredibly knowledgeable and passionate Biology teacher, determined to ensure boys understood the natural world around them, and a teacher who valued common sense, initiative and boys who took on challenges. Discipline was never a problem for him and generations of boys spread rumours of his caning ability. Despite being promoted to
Head of the Biology and Science Departments, and a brief stint as Senior Master, Zane always remembered how fortunate he was to have been given a chance to receive a top education and expected the boys he taught and coached to appreciate the opportunities College offered. Zane met his wife Dorothy through their shared love of athletics. Dorothy was a discus thrower and long jumper; Zane was a NZ university champion hammer thrower and shot putter. They had two children, John and Fiona, and lived for most of their married life at 35 Vagues Road, Papanui. Despite loving his Ford Zodiac, bought in England during a teaching exchange at Dulwich College (1965–6), Zane biked everywhere. He was a biking legend. When he retired in 1991 after 43 years teaching at College, the boys gave him a mountain bike. Zane was thrilled and, after joining the Summit Road Society, biked to
the Port Hills most days to build kilometres of walking tracks at the Ohinetahi and Omahu nature reserves. He also maintained a terrific vegetable garden, fruit trees and native plants. Fiona remembers Zane’s love of the outdoors, tramping around the foothills and mountains, and College boys will remember his adventurous native forest biology field trips. It was Zane’s knowledge of the Oxford area that led to the annual junior biology trips to study the beech forest and freshwater insects that still take place nearly 30 years later. His rugby teams will remember his forthright coaching plans for the forwards, and the long and unpredictable training runs each practice. Some of these would take in the sights around Canterbury University and the airport, after the traditional double park run. Zane would always lead these runs, never expecting boys to do anything he wouldn’t do himself. Even approaching
“Zane was an extremely genial and sincereman,who for 43 years contributed hugely to the life of Christ’s College, encompassing academic scholarship, sporting success and Common Roomcollegiality.” Graeme Worner
Christ’s College Canterbury
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