Tributes have poured in from across the globe after the death of the legendary “southern man” of New Zealand advertising, Terry Procter, made international headlines.
Procter’s family confirmed he died last week at the age of 84. His son Charlie said his father will be remembered as a hardworking family man, keen beer drinker, and a “good, hard bloke” who was known and loved by his Picton community as the “Cheese Man”.
For over a decade, Procter co-starred with Kevin Corcoran, who died aged 78 in 2012, in Mainland Cheese’s iconic ads. Throughout the many campaigns – including “Time poor,” “Time to check the cheese” and the now-iconic “Good things take time” – Procter was a recurring character.
Fans reacted to the news on social media, with one commenting that a cheese should be named after “the Kiwi icon” in his honour. Many others reflected on how the “much loved” ads will forever be ingrained in their childhood memories.
Mainland also shared its condolences in a tribute post on its Facebook page.
“Here at Mainland, we were sad to hear of the passing of one of our beloved cheesemakers, Terry Procter. He was one of our cheesemakers for over a decade and we are greatly saddened by his death. Our deepest condolences are with his family at this time. He will be missed by everyone here at the Mainland family,” the post said.
Procter will be farewelled by family and friends in Blenheim on Monday, July 17
