Alan Kerr

KERR, Alan Bryan MNZM
Born in Timaru 1951. Died at home in Hataitai, 4 March 2026.
Deeply loved and supported by his wife Judy.
Loved by his family Annette and Steven Maas, Barbara and Alan Walker, Ali, Matt, Bella and Sammy, Elizabeth, Aaron and Maeve.
Known for his work with MAF and the committees of Miramar Golf club, Wellington Croquet club and Kairangi Bridge club.
At his request, a private service has been held.

Messages to the family may be posted c/- Lychgate Funerals, 306 Willis Street, Wellington 6011

TRIBUTES

Ken Armstrong

Deepest sympathy Judy and family
Alan was a long-time colleague and friend of mine at MAF who you could always count on.
Alan drew admiration for the way he battled his health issues. He will be widely missed.
My thoughts are with you.
Ken Armstrong.

Alastair Roger

Hello Judy
It has been a long time since we have seen you both and very sad to read in the Post of today that Alan has passed away
Please accept our love for you both and trust that the family will gather round and give you the love and support to see you through your time of grief
With our love and best wishes for the future
Alastair and Marilyn

Margaret Costley

My deepest sympathy goes out to Judy and her and Alan’s families at the loss of a true gentleman and really lovely person.
I first met Alan at the Miramar Golf Club in the 1980s when he played golf with my late husband. Later both Judy and I took up golf and we four played together a lot and even went off on a golf trip to Australia. Alan spent many years assisting on the Men’s Committee and playing competitively for the Club. They were very happy times both playing and socially for us all.
Alan and Judy were very supportive to me while my husband was ill and in the Hospice and I shall never forget their kindness at that time.
My thoughts are with you all and I hope that the coming weeks and months bring many happy memories alongside the sadness.
Sincerely
Margaret Costley

Vangelis Vitalis

I was very sad to hear of Alan’s passing. Alan really was one of the good ones in the rather special and somewhat unique world of international agricultural trade policy and agricultural trade negotiations.

I learnt a tremendous amount observing Alan work at the OECD, the WTO and in particular during the multi-year bilateral negotiation with China for our FTA. Watching Alan in action at the negotiating table working his way through a range of tricky issues, all while protecting our national interest was truly a master class. His deftness, depth of knowledge, negotiating skill and sense of humour are stand out memories. And boy we needed that wicked sense of humour during some pretty dark moments in the negotiations! How he managed to sustain constructive and genuinely respectful relationships with counterparts was another crucial lesson that I learnt from him. That human touch that Alan so often deployed proved the difference at the very end of the process. He really did give us the edge.

I want to also recall with appreciation that Alan was incredibly and unstintingly generous with his time and always willing to share his knowledge, war stories and advice with junior staff like me. We loved the war stories for sure, but we always appreciated his sense of commitment to deliver for our country in general and the agricultural sector in particular. Alan truly was one of the good ones and we are the poorer for his absence.

To you his family, may I pass on first my sincere condolences and second to assure you that Alan will always live on in my memory and for all of us who worked with him in the agricultural trade policy world.

In Greece, when someone has died we say to family and friends: Ζωή σε μας να τον θυμόμαστε – long life to us so we may remember him. My sincere condolences – he will be remembered.