Peter Norman Heidenstrøm

20 June 1929 ~ 15 June 2007

The funeral was held on Thursday 21st June 2007 and ended with a private cremation. Dave Norris led the service beautifully and the event was a moving farewell, with a presence and tributes from Peter's friends from the worlds of athletics and calligraphy, as well as Peter's former workmates, and relatives and friends of the family. Thank you to all who attended. Kris Heidenstrom Tributes and messages Kris Heidenstrom <k@heidenstrom.gen.nz> My father Peter was a good man and I am proud to be his son. He took his responsibilities seriously and provided well for his family despite his disability. He was fiercely intelligent and independent, and he loved puzzles, comedy, and cats. Peter's first love was athletics. When his own athletics career was cut short by arthritis, he made his contribution through his formidable intelligence and his ability to devise systems for recording information. In the athletics community he is well-known in New Zealand and overseas for his meticulous and innovative record-keeping and analysis. In 1992 he published a book called "Athletes of the Century: 100 years of New Zealand track and field", which included many illuminating stories, and tables of data in his unique format, which allows the reader to reconstruct the ranking table as it stood at any desired date. Peter also developed and implemented an information-recording system called MISHAP for use in his job as a statistician at National Safety Association and then the Accident Compensation Corporation, to replace a problematic accident classification system, which enabled the ACC to produce useful accident statistics—something he said they had been unable to do before or since using his system, which has also been sold overseas. In their younger years, Peter and his wife Fleur were avid listeners and reviewers of classical music, and have amassed a large collection of vinyl records, which Peter loved to listen to through his hi-fi systems. Peter was also a meticulous carpenter, and made cabinets and a cleverly designed desk that he used often. Peter appeared twice on the quiz programme Mastermind; on his first appearance he answered questions on athletics statistics, and was the winner of that episode. He has also appeared on Inside Out, a documentary series about successful people with disabilities. In recent years Peter taught calligraphy to adult students at Wellington High School and Newlands College, combining his natural inclination to help others achieve their potential with his interest in beautiful writing, and was a member of the Hutt Calligraphy Club. Although I never saw him as happy as he is in the picture at the top of this web page, at 32 years old and shortly after his marriage to my mother, I know he was happiest when he was with his friends in the athletics world, and these friendships were very dear to him. Peter was born on the 20th of June 1929. During the time I have known him, his health was mostly good. Although he was hospitalised several times in his later years, he was active physically and mentally until the day before he died. He died of pneumonia in Wellington Public Hospital at 8.15 a.m. on Friday 15th June 2007, peacefully and surrounded by his family. He was 77. Peter is survived by his wife Fleur, son Kris (38), daughter Tina (36) and grandson Ari (13). Kris (Kristian) Heidenstrom, 16 June 2007 Tina Heidenstrom       3 July 2007 It all seems so strange now without him. Dad had been sick for such a long time—it was almost state of play so when he did go it was shocking. My Dad was an unusual but amazing human being. One who shared so much and cared so much yet kept a lot of what he had to offer on the inside. Perhaps that’s where I’ve learned that skill. My favourite memories of Dad are having him read to us—or very occasionally I can remember him playing harmonica—one of his little known talents. Sometimes he would keep us amused for ages avidly reading us stories from his Billy Bunter collection and occasionally pausing because he would be laughing so hard the tears would be rolling down his cheeks. And watching him play with Spike (their cat)—with string and paper that he’d carefully constructed into a better than average toy, wrapped around his walking stick and him giggling away as they played together. I also have wonderful memories of his warmth for Ari and how he would hold him so gently and tenderly as a baby and rock him to sleep. I’d give anything to see his sparkling blue eyes but I hope somewhere he is running, jumping, skipping—something his body had denied him for so many years. I’m lucky enough to have him staying with me for now and it’s really nice to give him a kiss and tell him I love him before I head off to work. Love you Dad Murray McKinnon Announcement and tribute on the Athletics NZ web site Newswire <www.newswire.co.nz> Announcement at newswire.co.nz Roger Robinson I just heard the news of Peter's death from the friend staying in our Wellington house. Many thanks for making that phone call—it is much appreciated. I knew of course that Peter was far from well. At the last athletics meetings he attended he looked frail, though the old sharpness of mind and wit were not much diminished. It was genuinely a privilege to know Peter and count him as a friend, partly because he was so astute and never gave his approval or affection cheaply. But once he judged well of someone, he was warm and articulate in expressing their strengths. You could be sure that the people Peter admired were really good at whatever they did. He will go down of course as New Zealand's best ever athletics statistician and historian, and an important world figure among those who keep the records of the sport. But I'll think of him more for the excellence and originality of his writing. I'm glad I had chance to pay tribute to that skill for a wider readership when I reviewed his great centennial history for the journal "New Zealand Books." He had the rare gift of expressing penetrating judgments in words that were both pithy and memorable. Personally, I shall very much miss his watchful and amiable presence at athletics meetings, and his occasional emails seeking my views on subjects so abstruse that it could require a research project to send an adequate response. More than anything I'll miss his sane, fair, and forthright opinions about the sport he loved so well and valued so highly. Kathrine and I are in America until July so cannot attend the funeral. We were going to send flowers, but as a regular SPCA contributor, and fellow cat-lover, in the light of your suggestion I'll be happy to divert that into a donation in Peter's memory. But please know that we would most certainly be there on Thursday if we could. Thank you again for phoning, Kris, and sympathies to the family from Kathrine and myself in this loss. In the full sense he was a real character. Rowena Morton (nee Welford), 2000 New Zealand 100m hurdles champion Please pass along my sympathies to Peter's family. People like Peter were invaluable and will be so sorely missed as individuals and as contributors to the sport. Craig Purdy, former New Zealand 400m champion 1988, 1989, 1990, Wellington rep, New Zealand rep, Director and Chairman of Athletics New Zealand I would like to add a few words to tribute Peter as I am unable to attend his funeral in person. Peter has been and will remain a treasure to the sport of athletics. Newtown Park and the National Track & Field Champs simply won’t be the same without him — always an encouraging word, always some marvellous stats about your event and always a positive comment about a fellow athlete. Peter would enthral the gatherings whenever asked to speak. His collection of programmes, stats and anecdotes of days gone by were amazing and his delivery included humour at its best. Peter, to me, was always a person with whom you wanted to converse and who would hunt you out at an athletics meet to ensure you did! He was that important link to our sport gone by and the motivator to spur you on to greater achievements. So long my friend. Marion Porteous and others at the Institute of Directors We would like to pass on our condolences to Peter’s family as well as express our appreciation for his professional services to the Institute of Directors. His outstanding calligraphy skills were used on the certificates that went out to IoD members who had completed training courses, become Accredited Directors and Fellows of the Institute from all parts of New Zealand. In spite of his disabling arthritis he always delivered on time, was ever willing to assist us and was always most gracious. Our thoughts are with you at this time. Melissa Moon <www.melissamoon.co.nz> Tribute on Melissa's web site Grant Birkinshaw Dear Fleur, Kris, Tina and Ari, Thank you for ringing me Kris. My sincere condolences to you all. I was pleased and honoured to pay my respects to Peter on Thursday. I was going to speak, but so many had such wonderful recollections and spoke so well that I left my contribution unspoken. Like others, Peter met me when I was a young athlete during 1968/69. Like others I was often astonished to hear him speak with accuracy of my performances in university meetings when I was in Seattle on a scholarship. We often spoke and shared information and track and field literature. Also like others I regard “Athletes of the Century” as the finest book on Track and Field that I have read anywhere. I would like to tell you a story that you may not have heard, as to how Peter's knowledge and enthusiasm made a great difference to someone's life. Peter was most helpful during 2003/4 in rectifying an administrative injustice concerning an American Athlete, Phil Shinnick. Phil beat the world record in the long jump in Sacramento, California in 1963, but the record was never ratified due to official bungling. This had become an obsession with Phil and caused much stress in his life, and had led to the breakdown of his marriage. With Peter's help, we put a case together, and Phil's performance was ratified as an American Record and is currently pending World Record ratification. There has been a great change in Phil's life as a result, and after 44 years he has finally found peace of mind. I hope in some way to help others continue with the work Peter has done, as I believe that history and statistical data provide the foundations to the sport that Peter loved so well. I shall be visiting the SPCA today. Kind regards, Grant Birkinshaw Kevin Ross Dear Kris Melissa Moon has put a little something on her website http://melissamoon.co.nz. Melissa is overseas at the moment and while she cannot attend the funeral tomorrow she thought and cared a lot about Peter. I know that Melissa would not mind if you want to put it on your website. I have known Peter for many years and while we did not know each other that well, we always said hello, and like him I was an 800 yards runner. From time to time we would have little conversations about the current batch of runners. I always looked forward to seeing Peter at the various tracks that I visited and in the last few years at Newtown Park, we always had a chat, and I will miss not seeing him there. He was always surrounded by people, which is a measure of the way people felt and respected him and sought his advice and counsel. I am glad that I knew him and sad that I did not know him better. My condolences to you and Peter's family. Len Johnson, Athletics correspondent to The Age, Melbourne Hi Murray, Sad news about Peter. I spoke to him only once or twice, but know of his work from many and varied sources. Just on the weekend, I 'Googled' something on the history of the four-minute mile and up came a paper Peter had done researching the first use of the term. He had it back to 1933, and gave every subsequent reference, complete with publication details. Also added he had been unable to find any reference to it in the 1920s, when some claimed it was first used! Very impressive. Scott Newman, CEO, Athletics New Zealand (this tribute was read at the funeral) I wonder who decided when time was up for Peter H. I wonder even more what their method of timing was. Manual or electronic? I don't think it matters, either way Peter will be arguing its accuracy for eternity. I remember the first day I met Peter. Most athletes probably do. Newtown Park. He sat silently on the side of the track, up by the finish line. I’d seen him there often enough—a man looking old well beyond his years. I was 15 years old and had just finished a hurdles race. As I walked past he stopped me with an out-stretched crutch. He rocked back, feet lifting 12 inches off the ground, to look me in the eye. "Nice run" or similar. "Any quirks in the spelling of your name and what's your date of birth?" He then rattled into his dictaphone "Scott with two tees, Newman. 21 Feb 70." Over the years Peter and I stayed in reasonably frequent contact. I saw him anytime I was in Wellington and of course at all the national championships. I was a Fastrack reporter and fan for the years of its life and read Athlete of the Century cover to cover. I've got two copies. During my time in the control room at national championships he would call on me for his required reports and results, all the time questioning the fullness and precision. As the years have ticked by and I drifted out of athletics for half a dozen years I continued to get a couple of emails a year from him—just keeping in contact and outlining the latest addition to his stable of hobby-horses. He was damn good at breeding those hobby-horses: Zero wind readings Meet Mis-Manager Tracks not aligned for ideal wind conditions Watches 1/10 of a second wrong in the first second etc He wrote so well that I kept all of his emails. Others will have known him far better than I but for whatever reason he showed a level of faith in me that I will never forget. In fact he was one of the key people I spoke to before I took on my current role. I feel the weight of his testing eyes and cheeky little smirk. A part of New Zealand’s trackside furniture has gone. Peter, I apologise that I’m unable to be with you today to see you across the line. The business of our sport calls and probably for the first time in your life, your own timing was dreadful! Russ Hoggard (this tribute was read at the funeral) Not many sources of knowledge are always as easy to talk to and as pleasant to know as Peter was. This is one gap that will not ever be filled, Peter will be sadly missed by all with a passion for our great sport. Chantal Brunner (this tribute was read at the funeral) Peter has been a trackside fixture at athletics meets for as long as I can remember, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of my own performance stats and those of the competition. He was always able to surprise by pulling out some little known or long forgotten fact. I'll miss seeing Peter with his floppy hat and dictaphone, waiting patiently at the finish line for the post event interview, always ready to share his enthusiasm for and knowledge of the history of our sport. He'll be sadly missed. My sincere condolences to Peter's family for his loss. Andrea Miller and Peter Cox (this tribute was read at the funeral) To a man whose memory, knowledge and kindness would always speak larger than his written word. To the countless times his anecdotes and reassurance provided guidence through the hardest times in our athletic careers, and during the good times when his sincere congratulations meant more than the accolades themselves. We thank you our friend for the emails we could never bring ourselves to delete. We will miss you. Andrea Miller and Peter Cox If you would like to leave a tribute or message on this page, please email it to me at k@heidenstrom.gen.nz. Please state that your tribute is "for publication" (on this web page). I am also compiling a collection of photographs, audio recordings and possibly video material relating to Peter's life, for distribution on CD to people who attended, or could not attend, the funeral. If you would like a copy, or have anything to contribute, please email me. We can record from tapes, and scan photographs, and return the originals to you. Below is a sample of Peter's calligraphy. Perhaps his choice of quote reflects his experiences at ACC. You may very well think that, but I couldn't possibly comment.