Doug Pople died suddenly in August 1999, aged 68 years.

Doug was the son of Rachel and Charlie Pople who ran the boarding house and built the Piha Store in 1945.

He was about five when the family started camping at Piha. Charlie Pople lost his fruit business after the government took over fruit importing, si in about 1941 he bought out Brownes’ Piha Hotel. In those early years, Doug and his sisters Eris and Norma boarded in the city during the week so they could attend school. Doug boarded with Mrs Otto for a time and then with the Murrays. Each weekend he returned to Piha in Mac’s bus, and to the chores awaiting him.

The boarding house was the hub of Piha life. The bus arrived there, it housed the Post Office, the food arrived there, the Poples ran the cowshed and so provided the local milk supply. The young Doug took his turn at all these tasks.

In the war years the boarding house thrived with visitors from town and patronage from the radar station.

When Doug left Seddon Technical College, there was a job awaiting him at Piha. IN 1945, Doug honed his carpentry skills heping to build the Piha Store for his parents, which he then helped to run.

In 1950 the Poples sold the store to the Crichtons, but for Doug the Piha connections continued. Afetr retraining as an automotive electrician, Les Waygood found him a job at Winstones where he worked for 30 years..

 He came out regularly to Piha to help Les Crichton run his Piha movie theatre.

He married Audrey Lingard, whom he met when she was visiting her sister Violet, who was married to surf club member, Stan Turner, who had a bach in Marine Parade.

Doug had three children – Stephen, David and Tracey, and five grandchildren at the time of his death.