When Jude and I arrived in Wellington for the final time during 1996, this time to settle and get a job, I (eventually) started at the Department of Corrections and day one met Andrew Lewellyn who worked in the IT Department doing, who knows tbh, something fine and wonderful no doubt.
He took me under his wing and we went for lunch. I think it took us around an hour to get to our café up the road as Andrew was stopped for a chat by, what felt like, everyone. I remember asking him over our sausage rolls, "Um, are you famous or something?", he laughed and laughed, "No, not at all, although I do seem to know a lot of people today."
Andrew died on 21st January.
He was a people person but unafraid to be on his own when he wanted.
I am going to steal a little from Rich, his brother, and the wonderful words he wrote about Andrew.
The last decade wasn’t easy for him. Things didn’t always (or often) go his way, but he never complained. A true stoic. His last few years were no fun - PSP is a particularly cruel disease - but he could find the funny side in it from time to time.
He managed to keep going on the ciggies for a lot longer than expected, even though he kept lighting his pants or his wheelchair on fire
I will miss that man that knows everyone, was soft and kind in heart, had an impish smile, and was my first ever friend in New Zealand.
Bye mate.
PS: as Rich noted:
He was also one of New Zealand’s early internet citizens, long before social media was a thing. He blogged under names like SunnyO, writing about attempts at gentleman farming in Ōtaki, and Observing Trifles, where he gently skewered the absurdities of modern life.
A witty, clever writer, he was active on forums like Public Address, The Wellingtonista, Graham Reid’s Elsewhere, and early Usenet groups. He even published film reviews online in the Web 1.0 days, some of which may still exist somewhere in the digital ether.
His bio at the Wellingtonista reads “Andrew Llewellyn likes to be recognised around town as Viggo Mortenson’s stunt double. But never is. Because he wasn’t.”
Here ya go, for those that want to hear Andrew's voice in your head:
- His blogs
- His movie reviews on "The Forum"
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