Saint Kentigern College is mourning the death of David Hodge, former head of the school.
Hodge died on April 29 surrounded by his family.
The school said in a social media post, “It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of Mr David Hodge on 29 April 2022 peacefully at home. He will remain in our thoughts and memories for his contribution as Head of Saint Kentigern.
“We express our deepest condolences to his wife Maggie, his children Jessica, James, Caitlin and Charlotte and their families for their loss. David will forever be in our hearts.”
A death notice read, “David is survived by his wife, Maggie Winterstein, and their precious daughters Caitlin and Charlotte, as well as their two cats, Asta and Luna. He is also survived by his former wife Diane and their beloved children Jessica and James, and grandchildren Beau, Ruby, Xavier, and Hamish.
“David’s service will be held at North Harbour Stadium, Sunday 8 May 2022 at 2pm, followed by a private cremation.”
Hodge, M.A. (Honours), M.Ed. (Honours), was appointed to the newly created position of Head of Saint Kentigern, effective from the beginning of Term 2 in 2017.
“Mr Hodge has considerable experience in the education sector and is held in high-regard by his peers,” the school announced that year.
“For the last eleven years, he has been Principal of Rangitoto College, a Decile 10 school on the North Shore; the largest and one of the most successful coeducational schools in the country. During his tenure, Rangitoto College has enjoyed unprecedented improvement in its academic performance, as well as excelling in co-curricular activities.”
Prior to this, Hodge was principal of Tamaki College, a Decile 1 school in Glen Innes, “raising the profile and driving exponential improvement in the educational performance of the school”.
Whilst at Tamaki College, he was recipient of a Woolf Fisher Fellowship.
Hodge was also actively involved in wider educational circles. He was a Board member of the Global Connections International Principals’ Group, an educational leadership organisation of 100 school leaders worldwide that promotes an international exchange of ideas on excellence in education.
He is also a Board member of the AUT Millennium Operating Trust and was a member of the Education NZ Advisory Committee.
In addition to this, he has been a presenter, facilitator and mentor in the New Zealand First Time Principals training programme, part of the Reference Group for the Ministry of Education’s e-learning policy, and the University of Auckland’s research into school leadership.