Kāpiti lost one of its classic characters this week with the untimely passing of the Very Irreverent Bos O’Sullivan.
Top of the list in recollections of Bos was humour. A punster of the first water, Bos could find a oneliner for every occasion which left some completely bemused and others, like myself, laughing out loud. And Bos could tell those appalling bad taste and Dad jokes with the best of them. He had a delightful sense of humour that never wasted an opportunity to come out and play.
To that end Bos produced a wonderful book of puns call Wetamorphosis which was kiwi humour to the core.
Music was also central to the life of Bos who, along with musical partners in crime Nigel Patterson and Ali Richards, formed the band The Intenders and made the album Wasted on the Masses, with the subtitle Silly Songs for a Serious Age. The video of the track If I Had Wings, written and sung by Bos can be seen below. Joining them on the album were friends and fellow artists Andrew London, Luther Hunt, Phill Simmonds, Ross McDermott, Shona Jaunas, Janet Holborow, Michael Bradley and Carlyann Martin. The album was recorded, engineered and mixed here in Kāpiti by Ross McDermott at Audiosuite.
Bos was also a skilled satirist and wrote a number of pieces for KCNews on behalf of the Pullet Surprise News Agency. One story suggested Krishnan Gurunathan (Guru) is in fact a reincarnation of an early 11th Century King of England. In another, as Kāpiti scientist Dr Sullivan Bosley, he proposed a creative solution to America’s school shooter woes.
Some of the other headlines included: Osama Bin Laden Seen at Coastlands? Kāpiti Island to be mined for gold; and, Density Church moving headquarters to Kāpiti.
Reactions varied with one person saying “That’s the great thing about Kāpiti people! We have creative, funny and enjoyable people who can use their imagination and write something like this!” and another just saying it was “Silly.” Bos appreciated the ‘Silly’ comment most.
Bos was also a significant social commentator for Kāpiti and held strong, well informed views about the future of the district. His opposition to the Expressway was intense and he believed other options for connecting our communities made a lot more sense. He made a documentary film on the subject called Through the Heart. And even though the expressway was rammed through, the influence of Bos’s film and the protests of locals led to many mitigations that would probably not have happened otherwise. See: https://youtu.be/uP8sLbwRRYg
Beyond all of these other achievements Bos was also a very caring and loving friend. He would lend a ready ear to tales of woe and offer advice and solace. He loved his family and his community and all in all was a bloody good bloke. To Bev and the family, my deepest condolences.
So my Very Irreverent friend, I salute you (hand round the wrong was as always) and hope the next part of your journey is full of love and music and humour.
Funeral Notice
Brendan Francis O’Sullivan (Bos):
Of Kāpiti. On Monday, 3 December 2018, suddenly but as Bos would say “nothing serious”. Much loved partner of Bev (Bezzie). Dearly loved Dad of Daniel, Jordan (dec), Dominic, and Patrice, and also of Bev’s daughter Jamila and son Shamim. Beloved Bos of Lyla and Kasra. Loved brother and cousin of the O’Sullivan and Purdom clans. A service to celebrate Bos’ life will be held at Kāpiti Coast Funeral Home, 911 Hinemoa Street, Paraparaumu, at 11.00am on Monday, 10 December, to be followed by interment at the Ōtaki Natural Burials Cemetery. Anyone who wishes to travel easily from Wellington can catch a Kāpiti-line train (the 9.53am departure should arrive at Paraparaumu at 10.47am) and the Funeral Home is an easy 200 metre walk north from the Station, across Kāpiti Road at the railway crossing. No flowers please, but donations to Greenpeace, Private Bag 92507, Wellesley Street, Auckland 1141, would be appreciated.
