Kay Nelson

It is with immense sorrow, we inform you of the sudden death of Kay on Friday 23 October. Kay will be remembered for her passion for her work and family, her endless enthusiasm for life, and her generosity.

Born in Scotland on 28 November 1957, Kay emigrated as a child to New Zealand with her family. She grew up in Wainuiomata and over the years lived in Lower Hutt, Auckland, the UK and Timaru.

Kay was known for her ‘larger than life’ personality who loved her work. Her first love was the hospitality industry where she held management positions in hotels and started her own small business. She then taught tourism and hospitality at Hutt Valley Polytechnic for several years before moving into senior management positions at WelTec, where she was responsible for building the international profile of the Hospitality School and significantly growing the domestic and international student numbers.  She completed her MBA at Massey University and had a successful career as a Chief Executive at Aoraki Polytechnic, Student Job Search, and for the past 10 years at HITO, where she brought her passion and enthusiasm to the hairdressing, barbering and beauty industries.

Over the years, Kay made a fantastic contribution to the tertiary education sector, including proudly overseeing the recent transition of HITO to HISO and back into industry ownership.

Kay’s influence extended well beyond the roles she held. She had a way of bringing out the best in those around her, encouraging them to aim higher and realise their full potential. Her impact lives on in the many people whose careers and lives she helped shape.

Throughout the years, Kay was deeply loved and supported by her late mother, Rene, whose unwavering encouragement and presence helped Kay flourish and achieve success in her career.

Kay fiercely loved her two beautiful daughters and was delighted to have her first grandchild, Ollie, whom she had just visited in Melbourne to celebrate his fifth birthday.

She enjoyed travelling the world and had recently come back from a fabulous holiday to the U.K. and Europe with her best friend, where she spent time with family and friends. She was looking forward to more travel and spending time with her family in Australia.

Kay will be deeply missed and forever cherished by her family and friends in New Zealand and the U.K. Her loss will be felt most profoundly by her beloved daughters, Sarah and Kelsie, sons-in-law James and Patrick, adored grandson Ollie, and best friend Penny, who will hold her close in their hearts and miss her more than words can express.

A funeral will be held on Monday 2 November at 10:30am at Gee and Hickton Funeral Home, Lower Hutt.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in her name to the Te Omanga Hospice.