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Obituary:
Two weeks before his death last month at the age of 89, former Gore locksmith George Gerken was still taking work calls — while in Kew Hospital, in Invercargill.
His son Darryl said his father’s dedication to locksmith work gave him a purpose in life.
“The reason he worked as long as he did [was] because he loved getting out and meeting people,” he said.
“He was very, very disappointed he wasn’t going to be able to work through to his 90th [birthday].
“That’s how much he loved getting out.”
For nearly six decades, Mr Gerken held the keys to the heart of the Gore community.
He was the town’s only locksmith for most of his life, and his legacy goes well beyond keys and locks.
Mr Gerken was born in Gore on September 8, 1936, to Naomi and Gavin Gerken.
He grew up in Otamita, northwest of Gore, with his parents and sister Ethel.
He attended Knapdale School and Gore High School, which he left when he was 14 years old.
Mr Gerken started work in his teens painting and paper-hanging, and then later drove lorries for Pawsons Transport.
In the 1950s, Mr Gerken worked for his father, driving taxis.
He earned his taxi licence at the age of 19, three years ahead of the legal age at the time.
He was believed to be the youngest taxi driver in the country.
He married Lois Duncan in 1962 and they were married for 32 years, until Mrs Gerken’s death at the age of 53.
The couple had two children, Sandra and Darryl.
Mr Gerken serviced vehicles at car dealership and garage Gore Motors and, in 1965, was inspired to start his own business, Gore Auto Accessories.
In that same year he also started working as a locksmith, installing and repairing locks and keys.
He had a knack for cutting keys, helping people re-enter their homes and vehicles after locking themselves out.
He got to most jobs in his brand-emblazoned van, which travelled thousands of kilometres to call-outs around Southland each year.
Being a locksmith was fiddly and meticulous work, but his family felt Mr Gerken always knew what to do.
Sandra Chrystall, Mr Gerken’s daughter, said her father did not need to complete his education to excel.
“He’s always been just ridiculously clever with everything,” she said.
In no time, he knew keys and locks like the back of his hand.
But it wasn’t the jingle of keys alone that made Mr Gerken so appreciated in the community, it was his connection with people, too.
He cared more about saving clients money than making his own.
Sometimes, Mr Gerken would not charge the elderly for his services, depending on the circumstances, and would be just as happy with a cup of tea and a yarn, Mrs Chrystall said.
In 2021, after suffering two heart attacks, which saw him airlifted to Dunedin Hospital, he recruited a friend to drive for him so his locksmith work could continue.
George Gavin Gerken died on June 11, aged 89.
He is survived by his children, Sandra Chrystall and Darryl Gerken, and his grandchildren, Hayley and Jayden Gerken and Taryn and Alyssa Chrystall.
gemma.sinclair@alliedmedia.co.nz