'Full of life and spirit': Son remembers mother killed in crash while cycling to vote

A woman who died in a crash while cycling to vote has been remembered by her son as “full of life and spirit”, who dedicated her life to helping others.

Elena Meredith, 78, died following a crash in Stoke, Nelson, while cycling to cast her vote on Labour Day.

Her son, Tavale Ilalio, said his mother “had a real life of service to others”.

“She was always an advocate for those who needed a bit more support, to walk alongside and be a voice for,” he said.

“Mum just had this unique ability to be in spaces of disagreement and difference and just hold them with this real respect and dignity.”

He said that after his mother gained a master’s degree in education, she went on to work for the Race Relations Conciliation Office in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before moving to Samoa to work as a special education teacher.

“She really loved working with children who had a different way of learning and and um expressing themselves,” Ilalio said.

“Mum would want us to lean into our differences as strengths.

“Be open and curious of others opinions and most of all dignify others perspectives as they have a lifetime of stories and experiences that have shaped them.”

Elena Meredith, 78, died following a crash in Stoke while cycling to cast her vote on Labour Day.

Back home in Tasman, Meredith became a passionate advocate for older members of the community, helping establish a transport system in the region.

Alongside her commitment to helping others, Ilalio said his mother had always led an active lifestyle, with movement and the outdoors playing an important part in her life.

“Mum was a machine,” he said.

“She liked being fit and healthy was really important to her because it meant she could be fit and healthy for others as well.

“She loved moving, swimming, hiking, she was still going for hikes, you know, last year when she was 77.

“Her beloved life partner, Bruno, they loved biking around the different parts of Nelson and Mapua and everywhere.”

Ilalio said Sunday’s service for his mother was “packed” but was still “one thousandth of the people that would have wanted to be there”.

“Mum’s got family all over the world,” he said.

“Mum would have loved this week. It would have been like one of the favourite weeks of her life, you know, because all of the moko were here, her kids and her extended family and all these lovely people that loved her.”

The family spread Meredith’s ashes at Ruby Bay, Ilalio said, a place that held special significance for her.

“She loved to be in the ocean, so she’s out there just being wherever she needs to be right now,” he said.

“It was just a really special send-off. I was so grateful for all the love that we’ve received.

“I know it’s a real kind of tragic way to finish off a life well lived, but we just had a really special week with her, saying goodbye, in a way that was totally on brand for my Mum.”

Police said inquiries were continuing to determine the circumstances of the crash.

“Our thoughts are with her loved ones at this difficult time.”