Shamim and Geoff Pearson

For Shamim Pearson (née Ismail), her life changed when she locked eyes with Geoff Pearson in the classroom. “We were in the same tutorial when our eyes and hearts collided,” Shamim shares. “We were totally besotted and knew right from the start that we were soulmates.”

Originally from Fiji, Shamim met Geoff in the 1980 Bachelor of Business Studies cohort. Married in 1986, the couple went on to have two sons, Shan and Ben. A happy family life expanded to encompass business success as founders of Foreno Tapware in Whangārei.

With adventurous spirits, Shamim and Geoff travelled around the world. “Our love of riding motorbikes took us from London to Morocco, from Chicago to New Orleans and many other awesome countries.”

A love-infused trip in 2018 saw Shamim and Geoff visit one of the world’s most romantic countries – Italy. “In 2018, we travelled to Tuscany to join Shan and his sweetheart Brooke for their fairytale wedding in a castle. After the wedding we toured around Europe for two months.”

Unfortunately, to the great loss of the Pearson family, Geoff passed away on August 11, 2018, after a tragic accident through no fault of his own. Rediscovering herself, Shamim knows Geoff, her beloved husband and soulmate, has forever shaped her life: “Together, we built dreams and moved mountains.”