CCNZ Connexis Hawke's Bay East Coast Apprentice of the Year Hunter Donghi passed away on 28 March at the early age of 20, after a short but brave battle with cancer.

His final sendoff was at Napier Technical Rugby Club on Saturday 2 April at 11.00 am, with Hunter's closest friends, family, workmates, fellow CCNZ branch members and sporting mates there to send him off.  And he was sent off in style - complete with a huge group haka, a pilot vehicle, logging truck and grader escort.

Hunter’s supervisor at Fulton Hogan Doug Cushing, who spoke at the funeral, told Hawke's Bay Today that Hunter had impressed at work from the moment he joined the company straight out of school, aged about 16.

"He was a very hard worker and an over-achiever…whatever he took on he wanted more, to work even harder," Cushing said.

"It was a refreshing attitude. It was that competitive nature. It was also pushing him on to do even better."

He developed a passion for work on the roads and pavements, becoming what Cushing reckons would have been one of the top grader-drivers around. He had a commitment to all his workmates, several recording games and a beer together at touch football a fortnight or so before the Christmas break.

It was then that he started to feel ill, and while workmates understood he still wasn't at the time aware of what was wrong, Cushing recalled that on the day they broke up for the holidays Hunter was in hospital.

He was unable to return to work, both that and the news this week hitting the crews heavily.

"It's a tough week for my boys," he said.

Hunter was well known to branch members, and will be sorely missed.

Hunter receiving his CCNZ Connexis Apprentice of the Year award at the CCNZ Hawke's Bay East Coast Awards in late 2021