Dean Eyre

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Dean Jack Eyre (1914 – 19 May 2007) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.

He served as a cabinet minister, first under Sydney Holland (1954-57) as Minister of Customs, Defence, Housing and Industries & Commerce; then under Keith Holyoake (1960-66) as Minister of Defence, Police and Tourism. He represented the electorate of the North Shore in the 29th to 34th parliaments (1949 to 1966), when he retired. He was then High Commissioner to Canada from 1968 to 1973 and 1976 to 1980.

He was born in Westport, and educated at Hamilton High School and Auckland University. Living in Honolulu when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour, he subsequently joined the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve and later the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve, serving in England and West Africa from 1941 to 1945.

Eyre owned and managed from 1936 to 1970 Airco (Ltd) in Auckland, which manufactured washing machines and refridgerators, and assembled Vespa motor scooters.

He died in Ottawa, Canada on 19 May 2007. His wife of 69 years, Patricia, had died in August 2006. They are survived by two sons and a daughter.

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