We are proud to dedicate our family history resources collection to Alison Procter
(1931-7 April 2007).
Alison was a long standing member of both the New Zealand Society of Genealogists and the Kapiti Branch. First elected onto the Kapiti Branch Committee in 1999, she was a Committee Member until she passed away in early August 2007. In October 2004 she became librarian. This gave her responsibility for the Branch research resources at the Paraparaumu Public Library. She was
instrumental in managing and updating a valuable resource, reshelving and cataloguing, purchasing new items, supervising a weekly research help session and maintaining links with Kapiti Coast District Library staff. This was a time when the Branch was successful in some major grants from community trusts and she took great pride in incorporating new resources into the facility.
Alison Procter (nee Elder) was born in Hastings in 1931, the second of 4 children born to Normanand Kathleen Elder (Norman was born in Waikanae in 1896). She travelled to Britain with her parents in 1950 and worked there until 1954. While in England she met her future husband, Ron Procter, originally from Sunderland. They came back to NZ and were married in Havelock North in 1955.
Most of the next 15 years were spent outside NZ, and when Ron died in 1970, Alison moved back to family and friends, with her 3 sons. In 1978 she moved from Palmerston North to Waikanae. Since 1978 she was involved in quite a number of Kapiti community groups, often in executive positions, and sometimes as a founding member. Some of these were:
Kapiti Workers Educational Association, Kapiti Herb Society, Kapiti International, Toastmistress Club, Council 6 1TC, Friendship Force of Kapiti Coast, Kapiti Citizens Advice Bureau, Kapiti Community Social Services Committee, Kapiti Family Budgeting, Kapiti Carers (driver), Kapiti DPA, Grey Power, Probus Millennium, Shakespeare Playreaders, Kapiti Historical Society.
In 1986 she commenced extra-mural studies at Massey University, and 11 years later completed a Bachelor of Arts degree.
