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Posted by rod@drury.net.nz in TechBiz at 5:35 pm on Sunday, 27 April 2008
New Zealand IT personality Brent Baldwin was one of the flyers who died yesterday at the Whenuapai air base doing what he loved doing.
I’ve known Brent since 1999 and had the pleasure of spending a bit of time with him over the last 6 months. So full of life, so enthusiastic, so professional - one of those true gentlemen you enjoy spending time with.
Brent has been on the forefront of Business to Business commerce and procurement for many years and is well known as the commercial guru in this space.
My thoughts are with his family. Brent was one of the good guys and a real loss to the industry.
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Brent and I were in college together at Otumoetai College and I’m so sad to hear this.
One of the best memories that I have is of him performing one of his typical stunts during a lunch hour. Brent was a member of the Territorials and he “borrowed” some weaponry and uniforms so that he and his mates could stage a “storming of the Quad” which was the area in the middle of Otumoetai College. He got into a heap of trouble for it!
An ex-boyfriend once visited Brent when he was in the airforce based at Wigram, and his memories include hair-raising rides on the back of Brent’s bike as he attempted to slide out the back wheel on the slippery white lines while he revved up the bike!
RIP Brent - you are part of my memories which include special times at college as well as some outrageous social occasions!
I had the pleasure to worked with Brent in 1989 when he had returned from Iran just as he was making plans to leave the Air Force. I later worked for him briefly in 1992 and with his brother in Australia.
Over the years whenever I visited NZ we always caught up for an update. Several times I’d stay with him for a decent catch up. I actually proposed to my wife at his house. His enthusiasm and larger than life character will be missed.
With so many significant memories associated with Brent I am still coming to terms with the events of the weekend. My thoughts are with his family.
I can’t believe what a small world it is, seeing these comments on here regarding Brent.
I served with Brent on No. 5 Squadron RNZAF in the early 80’s, he was the Navigator on the my P3 crew. We had fun and interesting times all around the world! But what I remember most was him teaming up with another squadron pilot and the two of them, on a trip to Singapore, hunting out the best deal to import “IBM compatable” 8088’s and (wow) 286’s. Their houses were full of computer components direct from Singapore and they established a great “back yard” business assembling and selling the first(ish) clone PC’s in NZ. Brent’s partner in this enterprise stayed in the Air Force and eventually moved into the airlines, but I recall Brent telling me “You’ll never make money working for someone else (the Queen in my case!) and he was off out into the IT world.
I hadn’t seen Brent since probably the end of the 80’s and I can’t believe that (given your comments Rod) I didn’t run accross him at one of the many industry events I attend up and down the country; I’m sad I’ll never have that opportunity.