LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GIRLS AND BOYS.
1. INTRODUCTION
IT IS MY VERY GREAT PRIVILEGE TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT MY VERY GOOD FRIEND PETER KERRY O’CONNOR.
PETER CAME TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA AS THE COUNTRY MANAGER FOR ERICSSON TELECOMMUNICATIONS.
HE SUBSEQUENTLY ORGANISED A MANAGEMENT BUYOUT WHEN ERICSSON’S DECIDED TO REDUCE THEIR BRANCH SIZE AND ESTABLISHED THE WELL KNOWN LOCAL BUSINESS – CONXIONS LTD – WHICH CONTINUED IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA PROVIDING SERVICE FOR ERICSSON’S CLIENTS AND ACTING AS AGENTS FOR ERICSSON AND THE SUCCESSOR COMPANIES ESTABLISHED TO TAKE OVER THEIR BUSINESS IN AUSTRALIA.
I BECAME VERY FRIENDLY WITH PETER AND GOT TO KNOW HIM OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND PARTICULARLY AFTER HE MARRIED MY DAUGHTER IREIRE.
THIS GAVE ME A VERY GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO OBSERVE PETER AND BE INVOLVED WITH HIM OVER THE YEARS.
2. CHARACTER
I WANT TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PETER O’CONNOR, THE MAN.
He was a;
• Generous;
• Kind;
• Humorous person; with
• Considerable business expertise.
3. STORIES
IT IS ALWAYS VERY DIFFICULT TO TALK ABOUT A GOOD FRIEND AT A TIME LIKE THIS WHEN YOU ARE VERY UPSET.
I REALLY CANNOT DO PETER JUSTICE IN THIS SHORT PERIOD OF TIME – BUT I DO NOT NEED TO WORRY, AS ALL OF YOU WILL HAVE YOUR MEMORIES OF PETER AND HOW HE TOUCHED YOUR LIVES – SO YOU WILL KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT AND WHAT I AM TRYING TO SAY TO YOU.
PETER MY FRIEND, REST IN PEACE.