Warren Gilbert Warburton

I was very sorry to hear of Warren’s passing. I worked for him at Warburton jewellers in my teachers college holidays and when I was first teaching. He was a lovely man a wonderful boss who treated all his staff and customers with genuine affection and respect. He was always interested in you and your family and achievements. He was devoted to Freda and often I saw him in later years st friends of the museum or taking Freda out for coffee around town. A real gentleman who we will miss.

I first met Warren when I came back to Southland and joined the Southland Officers Club. He was a gentleman of the highest standing and always had a kind word for anyone he met. I enjoyed having lunch with him at the Waikiwi Tavern where the club would meet on a monthly basis and Warren was always keen to catch up on any news.

COVID has robbed us of the chance to lay a poppy and pay our last respects but at our next meeting he will be acknowledged and remembered.

RIP Great Uncle Warren. You were truly an inspiration to many people. It was a privilege for myself and my husband to spend ANZAC Day with you this year. I was so proud to stand with you in my uniform and remember those who went to war with you and didn’t return. ❤️

Uncle Warren
A great man A true gentleman
Advice he gave me many years ago...Denis, what ever you do for a job,be the best at it.
Rest in Peace Warren

A true lovely gentleman he was a regular in my work place for many years always was so polite and loved to have a chat only saw him a few weeks ago so sad to hear of his passing much love to his family you must be very proud xx

RIP Great Uncle Warren, it was a thrill and privilege to know you albeit only for a short time. He was an inspiration to all that met him. I was honoured to share in his 100th birthday celebration this year and will take with me treasured memories and stories of a wonderful man and family..

Warren was a valued and active member of the Rotary Club of Invercargill for 51 years, our last connection with Warren as our fellow Rotarian was at our Club Meeting on 17th August.
Warren reflected the core values of Rotary by his honesty, fairness, goodwill, friendship and found ways to share these values and benefits with members in all that he thought & did.
Warren spoke of the honour he felt when he was asked to join our club and now we proudly share the honour in having him as a member of our Club for so many years.
Warren was recognised as a Paul Harris Fellow for his contribution to our Club and the wider community.
Rest in Peace Warren
RI Member # 325501
Badge # 45
Service above Self since 19th May 1970

Warren was one of the longest serving members of the Invercargill Central Friendship Club. He joined Probus (as it was then) in October 1991 - almost 30 years ago. He will be remembered for his quiet wisdom, gentle manner and thoughtful contributions. Our club will pay tribute to him when our meetings resume again.

Deeply sorry to hear of Warren’s passing. A good friend and a lovely man

It is with sadness that I learnt of the passing of this incredible person.
When Warren married Freda in 1949, he became a valued member of our close extended family. A week never passed without contact from our Invercargill relations and our family. When Freda was moved to full care, Warren kept up the contact with weekly phone calls, always hungry for news of our family and never failing to promote the joy of living in Southland. He loved to have us believe he dined on oysters every week and the sun never failed to shine.
Freda and Warren were frequent visitors to our family firstly in Kaikoura, then later in Ashburton. When I was young, on more than one occasion, they would take me back to Invercargill with them for a holiday. They always spoilt me with a day trip to Queenstown which included a detour to Teviot Valley where Warren’s sister had a fruit orchard. We always left with tree ripened apricots, peaches, and nectarines to eat on our journey.
I was privileged to document Warren’s life story and through that process learnt how his time serving in Italy fighting in WW2 affected him for life. He told me that a day never passed without him giving thought to the events that he witnessed. I also learnt how generous he has been in the community that he loved.
John and I have been so fortunate to have shared all special events that each family celebrated. Covid stopped us from travelling to celebrate Warrens birthday on his special day, but together with cousins we came down last month for a belated 100th meal out together, an event that holds special memories for us.
Warren’s love for Freda knew no bounds and to you Freda and all family members we salute this warm and wonderful man.

Warren is a valued member for the Rotary Club of Invercargill, and this is where I first met him. He has been kind with his advise, freely giving us words of wisdom! We loved having Warren at the meeting and being able to access his knowledge of Rotary and our club has been invaluable. He is a masterful story teller, and at his 100th birthday celebrations he kept us engaged with his recollection of how he met Freda :) Thank you for your friendship and service to Rotary Warren, you will be sorely missed. RIP my friend.

Our thoughts and love are with you Freda, and mum too, from everyone in Nelson. Warren was such an important figure in my childhood. I look back fondly on cricket matches and strawberries at Martin St, wrestling on the lounge floor at Crinan St (those horse bites were vicious!) and the times during school holidays when Warren showed me how to make little paua shell trinkets in the workshop upstairs. It seems that many children today do not have the influence of a good man to help guide them, but no one could say that of us kids. Warren's life was remarkable - the war service and stories, the successful business, his service through Rotary and his 72 years alongside Freda .... and also the keen sense of humour and interest in the world that remained right throughout his life. So cruel that his loss has come during the Covid lockdown and we can only offer support and love to Freda from afar.

I first met Warren when Russell (who at the time was my boyfriend) worked at Warburton Jewellers as a watchmaker apprentice. Over the years, after we married and moved out of the district, we never lost touch catching up in Invercargill, Wanaka and over the last few years at Rowena Jackson. Warren and lovely wife Freda were a wonderful couple who always made you welcome and were interested in catching up on family news. Warren you were a true gentleman and I will miss you. You will never be forgotten. Rest in peace. Much love to Freda and family.
Lyn Leary

I was fortunate to know Warren as a Rotary colleague and friend though being a member of the Invercargill Rotary Club and I will feel his loss deeply. Warren was an outstanding person with wonderful attributes. He was charming and friendly to all, interested in everyone and everything, very articulate, interesting and succinct in informal conversations and more formal speeches, eg he spoke for over 10 minutes without notes at his 100th birthday party put on by our Rotary Club, where he traced his family history back to the UK and early New Zealand. Warren made this speech really easily in the most accomplished and vivid manner, including stories about his grandparents, parents and siblings in a way that brought them to life for us.
While I will miss Warren very much at our meetings, I do wish to celebrate his wonderfully rich life, and I'm thankful that I knew him as a friend and colleague.

So very saddened to read Mr Warburton has passed away. He was such a lovely, caring gentleman. He would lead Mrs Warburton on his arm to the chair and help her sit down every time they came in. So sweet and still in love, a true gentleman. RIP xx