He was a hell of a man, a lovely friend, and not a bad gardener either.

Lovely service for a lovely man. Major contributions to the world. So much love for family and friends. He will be very much missed.❤

I had the great privilege of working with Alex in the State Sector Development team he led at the State Services Commission in the 1990s. Alex had many attributes - an outstanding intellect coupled with intense curiosity; an ambition to undertake world-class work in the field of public management; a deep vein of courage and tenacity (especially where Treasury was concerned) and an endearing honesty and low-drama personality that made it easy to work with and for him. But his super-strength was his ability to attract talented people to his team and then both keep and develop them through stimulating assignments and a supportive, productive culture. He fostered high-potential Maori and Pasifika advisors who went on to become high-profile Chief Executives, while other team members went on to lead the Cabinet Office, Privacy Commission and MSD policy shop. More than that, Alex had the wisdom and self-insight to hire very capable managers to support his leadership and to complement his strengths -remembering Jeanette and Andy. Alex's departure to the OECD was a great win for the global theory and practice of public management but a sharp loss for those who relished working with him. A little anecdote to finish with. There was a regular team breakfast at a local cafe and Alex would often use that to test his thinking about a current topic. He wasn't a great multi-tasker, so food and drink would be put aside while he was marshalling his argument. It was a running joke among the rest of us as to how many spoons of sugar he would end up putting in his rapidly-cooling coffee while distracted by his train of thought. How he ended up drinking the nearly saturated solution was beyond comprehension! My deep respect and condolences to Philippa and all the Matheson whānau as you grieve the loss of a remarkable man. Haere, haere, haere ki te pō.

My deepest condolences to Philippa and family. I had the great privilege of working with Alex over many years in foreign affairs and international development. He was a fine man and good friend.

I first saw Alex playing rugby for Canterbury against the 1971 Lions. It was some decades later that I had the chance to know him personally. We workled together on consulting assignments in Wellington, and then on the National Integrity Assessment of NZ, on which Alex led the work on the public sector. His wide NZ and international experience, his intellect, rigour and wisdom meant his contributions had real gravitas and impact. Alex had a quiet wit, a warmth, a generosity of spirit, and a gentleness that made him an absolute pleasure to be with. He will be sadly missed.

Alex had an outstanding career as a public servant, diplomat and adviser to a range of governments and institutions abroad. In the late 1980s he played a major role in reshaping the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade at the time of wide-ranging economic and public sector reforms. He represented New Zealand at our overeas posts in Seoul, Suva and Canberra. He was a widely respected and popular colleague. He and Philippa will be warmly remembered for their professional skills and personal qualities.

Miss you and love you dad ❤️

A candle has been lit in my house ever since I heard the news, we’ve replaced it twice so far. Thinking of all the memories we’ve had together and celebrating the life of Alex!