Service a chance for everyone to pay respects

A public memorial service will be held next Friday for Tauranga City Council chief executive Ken Paterson, who died in his sleep on June 17.

It will be the first opportunity for his many friends and colleagues to join together to pay their respect for the man who held the council's top job for nearly a year.

Mr Paterson died on the same day he and his 3-year-old son Finley were at the historic Te Ranga battle ground at Pyes Pa watching haka practices for the signing of Tauranga Moana iwi Ngati Ranginui's Treaty settlement four days later.

The service will be held at Baycourt at 3pm on June 13 and was expected to attract not only many council staff but colleagues from his former job as the CEO of the Northland Regional Council.

He spent four years in Whangarei - his first job leading a council after a career spent largely in the private sector.

Scotland-born Mr Paterson, 61, left behind his wife Melanie and children Finley and 7-month-old twins Mackenzie and Elliot. It was his second marriage - he had two children from a previous marriage. A small private family funeral service for family and close friends was held on June 23 at Tauranga's Holy Trinity Church.