Rodney Appleby said the death of his mother, Vivien Joyce Appleby, on October 20 was a tragedy.
She was much loved and would be missed, he said.
Her funeral was held last week.
She had lived in Dunedin for about the last 15 years and was a landlord approaching retirement.
"She was a kind person who loved people and invested into relationships," Mr Appleby said.
Elaine Clarkson, of Porirua, said she first met Mrs Appleby in 1978 when Mrs Clarkson was pregnant with her third child and had just moved to Kurow.
Mrs Appleby knocked on Mrs Clarkson's door and invited her to join a group for young mothers she ran.
Their friendship blossomed from there.
"One of the things she was really good at was encouraging people to try new things . . . You could always knock on her door and have a cup of tea," Mrs Clarkson said.
Mrs Appleby had been a keen gardener and also had a passion for angora goats.
One day the goats broke through a fence and got into Mrs Appleby's rhododendrons and some of them got sick, Mrs Clarkson said.
While Mrs Clarkson lived overseas her daughter studied at Waitaki Girls High School and Mrs Appleby hosted her during holidays and went to parent teacher conferences on behalf of the family.
When Mrs Clarkson moved back to New Zealand Mrs Appleby hosted her family, gave her a rose from her garden and helped them move towns.
"She always went the extra mile for people," Mrs Clarkson said.
Ms Appleby was struck by a car in Carroll St about 2.30pm on October 20.
She was taken to Dunedin Hospital in a critical condition by ambulance and died later that evening.
