Following a lung cancer diagnosis last year, Michael Cullen, a New Zealand politician, died at the age of 76. The news came as a big shock to all the people.
Michael Cullen was New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister, Finance Minister, Tertiary Education Minister, and Attorney General.
Cullen’s nearly 30-year career in Parliament began in 1981 and culminated under Helen Calrk’s fifth Labour administration when he was chosen finance minister despite being implicated in a plot to depose her as Labour leader.
Recently he passed away on August 19, 2021, at the age of 76, with the government praising his public service as “one of the most substantial contributions made by any politician in modern times.”
Many tributes and sympathies have been posted on social media timelines in response to the tragic news.
Michael Cullen Family: Wife And Children
Michael Cullen’s family consists of his wife Anne Collins, four children, and eight grandchildren.
When it comes to his parents, Michael’s father worked as a spectacle frame manufacturer while his mother was a secretary.
It’s a terrible moment for his family, and it’s been reported that a private family funeral would be held as soon as possible, followed by a public memorial ceremony at Taneatua, in the eastern Bay of Plenty.
Anne Collins is Michael’s second wife who is a former Labour Party politician from New Zealand. They got married in 1989. Anne is 70 years old and was born in Napier, New Zealand, on the 20th of July 1951.
She attended Napier Girls High School before attending Massey University and earning a Bachelor of Education degree in 1982.
Further, Rowena Joy Knight is Michael’s ex-wife, whom he married in 1967 and divorced in 1989.
Michael Cullen Cause Of Death Explored
Michael Cullen died from lung cancer, which was the primary cause of his death.
Cullen died at Whakatane on the 19th of August, 2021, on a Thursday night.
Likewise, Michael revealed on March 6th of 2020 that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 small cell lung cancer that has progressed to his liver.
He will be remembered as one of New Zealand’s most effective finance ministers, with a long-term vision for improving the country’s economic and social prosperity and stability.