Sir Roger Bhatnagar 1942-2022

Sir Roger Bhatnagar 1942-2022

It is with deep sorrow the Bhatnagar family announces the passing of family patriarch Sir Rajeshwar Sarup Bhatnagar KNZM (Sir Roger) on Monday 7th November 2022, at Summerset at Heritage Park in Ellerslie, Auckland. The family is at peace knowing he is now able to rest after a long period of stroke-related illnesses and incapacity. 

Sir Roger immigrated to New Zealand with his NZ born wife and Canadian born children from Vancouver in 1980, and started a successful electronics retail business called Sound Plus.  In 1991, he bought Noel Leeming from its receivers. As Executive Chairman, he worked with his team to grow Noel Leeming, and helped create the Pacific Retail group, which he exited from in 1999 for semi-retirement. He was awarded a Knighthood by the NZ Government in the Queens Birthday Honours of 1998 for services to business and the community.

He is survived by his son Aaron and daughter Anita, his daughter-in-law Mara and son-in-law Blair, grandchildren Sebastian, Alexander, Christopher, Jack, Brontë and Gia, and his former wife Dee.

Said son Aaron, “Dad had a rich and diverse life, as he was able to savour the fruits of his success in retail and elsewhere. He grew up in very modest circumstances in New Delhi and when travelling the world in the late 1960s, he occasionally slept rough as he was short of money.  He then became established in Canada, learning the art of electronics retail in British Columbia. When he moved with his family to New Zealand in 1980, he irritated many of his competitors with aggressive discounting and marketing, like his “Pyjama Parties” on Auckland’s Queen Street, living by the retail motto ‘stack ‘em high and kiss ‘em goodbye’. He grew Sound Plus from one to nine stores, and then bought Noel Leeming from the Smith’s City receivers in 1991 in a leveraged buyout, and listed Noel Leeming successfully on the NZX in 1993.”

“Dad was incredibly generous to family, friends and causes, but with a mercurial personality that was as tough as it was charming. He loved the nice things in life, enjoyed his friendships with NZ sports players and politicians, and was a charismatic larger than life character. He loved his parties and entertaining, his snapper fishing in the Hauraki Gulf, and had a passion for luxury cars, watches and collectables. Sadly, Dad’s poor health from 2009 onwards deprived him of a more meaningful and rewarding role as an active grandfather, which he was very much looking forward to,” said Aaron.

Long time friend and business confidante Gary Paykel, former CEO of Fisher and Paykel, said “Sir Roger Bhatnagar became a wonderful and true friend of mine. He was the epitome of the entrepreneurial businessman. I watched with admiration his leveraged buyout of Noel Leeming in 1991 - a gutsy move when the company was in receivership. He had rare intuitive instincts for appliance retailing, and I had no doubt he would be successful with Noel Leeming, which he grew into Pacific Retail Group. I will remember him for his openness, honesty and loyalty.”

Another long time close friend, the Rt Hon Winston Peters said “Sir Roger was a stand-out immigrant success story for New Zealand.  I knew Sir Roger for a long time and deeply respected his business career, his contribution to philanthropic causes such as cancer and diabetes charities, and his support for the sporting community. He was enormous fun to be with, had tremendous insight into the retail economy, and it was a privilege to include him on official business delegations to Asia when I was Deputy Prime Minister in the 1990s.”
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The Bhatnagar family are grateful to staff of the Care Centre at Summerset at Heritage Park, and 7 St Vincent in Remuera for their care and support of Sir Roger over 13 years. They also wish to thank his old friend Colin Wong, for his extra caregiving support, as well as family advisors Alex Houghton, Tim Williams and Greg Horton who worked closely with Aaron to ensure Sir Roger’s protection and comfort in his last years.

A private funeral service will be held for family members and close friends.

All correspondence to Aaron via www.bhatnagar.co.nz or  "The Bhatnagar Family" C/- PO Box 37016,  Parnell 1151, Auckland.

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