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Obituaries

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Newtown-Fella
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« Reply #75 on: September 14, 2009, 09:53:46 pm »

Ian Malcolm: Die-hard Nats supporter was a natural salesman


Ian Malcolm was a good talker, a good salesman, ever the optimist and a die-hard supporter of the National Party.

He grew up in Roseneath and went to Roseneath Primary School and Wellington Technical College.

Then, following his father, who was permanent ways engineer for Wellington City Council, he started work in 1942 as an electrical apprentice in Railways' electric track division.

After transferring to the design office in 1948, his supervisor suggested he go to night school to become an electrical engineer. Later he worked on plans for the electrification of the main trunk line between Wellington and Auckland.

Leaving Railways in 1953, he joined the National Electric and Engineering Co (NEECO) in Auckland as a power sales engineer. He was a natural salesman and by 1956 was the merchandise sales supervisor at NEECO's head office in Wellington.

He was 39 in 1966 when he was appointed managing director, a post he held until 1980 when the company was taken over by Cable Price Downer. He left rather than become involved in the restructuring - he did not want to be involved in firing people.

Keen to get back to being a salesman, he set up his own trading company, IL Malcolm Ltd. It imported and exported a range of products, but electrical motors were a mainstay as he kept the company going for 30 years.

The family home was first in Cavendish Sq, Strathmore, but after a stroke, which partially paralysed him, he and his wife moved to a house in Miramar that did not have stairs. He recovered well.

Mr Malcolm was a prolific letter writer, tendering his advice to prime ministers and putting his invariably conservative views in regular letters to the editor.

At times his advice could be unintentionally amusing, such as in the letter he wrote to prime minister Jenny Shipley on how she should tackle a United States trade barrier.

"Could I suggest that, as you have recently formed a relationship with Mr Clinton, that you give him a ring and ask for his help. In years of business I have found that sometimes, in difficult circumstances, you have to appeal to the top man."

Mrs Shipley thanked him graciously.

Asked before the last election if he would still vote National if the party were led by a monkey, he said he would "as they would replace him if he wasn't any good".

He was community spirited and generous with his time and money, supported the Salvation Army, served on the boards of Queen Margaret College and the Boys & Girls Institute and was a Rotarian for more than 35 years. He is survived by his wife.
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Ian Leith Malcolm,  businessman: born Wellington,  February 6, 1927; married Elizabeth  Tait 1953, 1 son 2 daughters; died Wellington, August 16, 2009, aged 82.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/national/obituaries/2857667/Ian-Malcolm-Die-hard-Nats-supporter-was-a-natural-salesman
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