Sword spent most of his retirement in the police kiosk co-ordinating volunteers, and was always telling Trish stories about what went on there.
When Trish learned the kiosk building was being demolished, she contacted Christchurch City Council to ask if she could have a piece of wood from the building as a memento of her father, who died six years ago aged 82.
The team managing the building’s demolition decided Trish deserved a better memento than a piece of wood and gifted her the key to the building.
"I was so happy," she said.
"I bought the keys home and said: ‘Right dad, you have your own set of keys now'.
"I’ve put them in the safe with his medals and his community service awards and the other mementoes I have of him. There’s so many memories in that safe.
"Dad loved working in the kiosk and co-ordinated the volunteers for more than 25-years.
"When they re-opened the building after the earthquakes, they asked dad to cut the ribbon.
"He was in hospital at the time, but there was nothing that was going to stop him from cutting the ribbon.
"We got him a wheelchair and we sneaked him out to the opening and then we took him back to the hospital - there was no way he was going to miss it."
Trish suspects her father secretly wanted to be a police officer, which is why he enjoyed his time working in the kiosk so much.
"When he died, the volunteers and the police formed a guard of honour at the crematorium. He would have been so thrilled by that."
The former police kiosk is expected to be fully demolished by the end of this week. It is being taken down to make way for the eventual relocation of the Citizens’ War Memorial into the square.
