Obituary: Roger Fowler, activist

Veteran Auckland activist Roger Fowler never stopped working for his community or his causes. The longtime Mangere East resident had managed the Community Learning Centre and served with a range of community organisations, earning him a Queen’s Service Medal for community service in 1999. A former bus driver and Engineers Union delegate, Fowler was active on public transport issues and also led a campaign in 2010 to keep the local post shop open. A founding member of the Palestine Human Rights Campaign, he was active for that cause until almost literally the day he died — he was founder and co-ordinator of Kia Ora Gaza which delivered humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza Strip. Fowler was also a well-known musician and a regular in performer in amateur theatre. He died on February 21, aged 77. — Agencies/Allied Media