PROF Peren, as he later became known to New Zealand’s agricultural world, was born in England and went to Canada at an early age, where he obtained a degree from Ontario Agricultural College. Serving with distinction in World War I, he rose to the rank of major, and won the Croix de Guerre.

In 1924 he and his wife came to New Zealand, to take up the newly established Chair in Agriculture at Victoria University. In 1928 he was given the prime responsibility of establishing Massey Agricultural College, a position which he held for 31 years, leaving it with fine buildings, grounds and farmlands, a staff of high calibre with a wide range of teaching and research activities and an enviable reputation, both within New Zealand, and overseas.

Special tribute should be paid to the contribution he made to the sheep industry of New Zealand. The development of teaching and research in the fields of sheep husbandry and wool were his special interest and responsibility. During this period some of the initial investigations of the Cheviot-Romney Cross took place under his direction.

Soon after his retirement from Massey he was the leading figure in the formation of the Perendale Society, to which he had been invited to give his name.

For twenty years as Honorary Secretary and Patron he devoted most of his energies to the development of the breed, the affairs of the Society and the publication of 10 editions of the Handbook.

Perhaps his most outstanding characteristic was his ability to perceive an objective and to devote all his energies to achieving it.

He combined this with an artist’s sensitivity and a personality which made his leadership role seem effortless. He possessed great soundness of judgement, inexhaustible energy and a perfectionist’s attention to detail.

He sought no material gain for himself, but only fame and high respect for the breed. Many sheep farmers owe their present prosperity to his early encouragement and guidance.

As a man he will always be remembered by those who knew him, for his hospitality, his warm pleasure in their company, his gift of friendship and his endless flow of enthusiastic talk.

One left his presence with the firm resolve to go home and do better.