The Willows lost an important friend last year with the death of Major Bob Millar of The Salvation Army. Bob was often amongst the spectators on a Sunday enjoying the atmosphere and friendship of a match against a College XI. With a passion for sport and cricket in particular, Bob found The Willows a welcome sanctuary from his normally active and demanding life working with people in need in Christchurch. He appreciated also its positive influence on the lives of young people.
Bob had served as a Salvation Army Officer in a range of tasks in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. He was a leader, particularly apparent when there was a critical or difficult task to undertake. When not engaged in working, Bob was a keen hunter, fisherman, cricketer, played representative rugby and after hanging up his rugby boots became active as a rugby referee.
In Christchurch Bob’s range of work actively included chaplaincy to the Police and Military and as the founder and manager of The Salvation Army Street Service, a service that provided friendship and support to people working and living on the streets. It was the running of this street service that Bob became so well known in the community where on Friday and Saturday nights when most good citizens were thinking of a good night’s sleep, Bob was commencing work. In a converted ambulance he drove the streets of the city until 3.00am in the morning providing a listening ear, hot drinks and food to people who were living on the streets, prostitutes and others. Bob’s presence was often enough to dissuade trouble and stop criminal activity in the city but more importantly he was a person street people could talk to for support and help when life became desperate or at the point they wanted to start changing their lives.
A measure of Bob’s influence in Christchurch was seen at his funeral when, at the Salvation Army Citadel, civic and business leaders, senior Police and Military personnel and National Salvation Army leaders joined with street people, criminals and prostitutes to pay tribute to the man who had made such a significant influence on their lives.
When the Sally flag flies at The Willows each Sunday it reminds us of people like Bob who often said that a day at the ground gave him the recreation and distraction that energised him to continue working to improve others’ lives. Undoubtedly a day’s cricket provides very different benefits for each person who visits the ground and thankfully The Willows was a place that helped Bob give a life of humanitarian care to other people.