Jenni McManus
Employment Court Chief Judge Christina Inglis was among hundreds of mourners who crammed into the community hall in the tiny township of Dunsandel, about 40 kilometres south of Christchurch, on Friday afternoon to pay tribute to employment advocate Ashleigh Fechney.
Fechney, aged 32, died on New Year’s Day while visiting Lithuania with her husband, Andy Streb.
Having found the adoption system in New Zealand too difficult and bureaucratic – even for someone as determined and legally savvy as Fechney – they were in the final stages of adopting three Lithuanian children.
At Friday’s memorial service, hosted by celebrant Lauren Kilkelly – who married the couple in 2019 – family and friends spoke of a relentlessly determined, powerful and fiercely independent young woman who “stood up for people others overlooked or avoided”.
When she made her mind up to do something, Fechney’s father Malcolm told the gathering, “it happened – and it happened fast”. She was someone who pushed boundaries, who was never happy with the status quo, he said.
Some mourners spoke of her authenticity – and her rare ability to listen without judgment. Others were drawn by her “warm, welcoming energy” and spoke of a woman “who didn’t like failure”.
To Streb, who described her as “a light that shone brightly in the world”, Fechney was also the chief organiser of every event and for every friend group – “the beating heart of our family”.
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