Anthony, Kristine, Winona Langford to be remembered with new north shore memorial

Three family members who lost their lives in the 2019 New Zealand volcano blast will be permanently remembered with a new memorial spearheaded by the local community.

Three north shore residents who tragically lost their lives in the 2019 New Zealand volcano disaster will be permanently remembered with a new memorial organisers hope will be a place to celebrate their lives.

Willoughby Council has pledged to cover the cost of a plaque commemorating the lives of Anthony Langford, 51, his wife Kristine, 46, and their daughter Winona, 17, who were killed while holidaying during the White Island volcano blast.

Their deaths sent shockwaves through the north shore community including in Willoughby where the family were long term residents.

Anthony and Kristine Langford

The Langford family, along with their son Jesse who suffered serious burns in the eruption, had particularly strong connections to the East Willoughby Preschool where each of the family members attended as children.

Kristine worked at the centre many years as an office administrator and was involved in fundraising, supervising children, cooking baked treats for staff and taking responsibility for the preschool’s worm farm.

Anthony, Jesse and Winona all attended the preschool as pupils and maintained close contact with the preschool over the years, including through regular volunteer work.

The family were among 47 people on the island when the volcano erupted.

Vici Hoskins, who worked alongside the family at the preschool, said they were an integral part of the local community.

“Anthony attended the preschool, Kris was the administrator and Winona and Jesse attended the preschool so when this incredible unimaginable tragedy happened to them it just seemed that the preschool was a place they all had a connection to,” she said.

“It’s a little community preschool and they to me and others they personified the very best aspects of community.

A photo Anthony and Kristine Langford with their children Winona and Jesse.

“They weren’t the big gesture people – they were the hard working people – turning up, baking the cakes. Anthony was our go to computer person if ever we had a problem, and Kris was involved in so many things at the preschool over the years.

“We were preparing for our Christmas concert when the news broke and I can’t tell you how devastating it was and the pain we felt. It was an incredibly difficult and devastating time.

“It seemed to me and others at the preschool a plaque would be a really good way to honour and acknowledge their role in their community which reached beyond just the preschool.

A photo of Anthony, Jesse and Kristine Langford.

“Particularly because Jesse is still a local, by putting up a plaque he and others could walk past and have that moment of reflection.”

The plaque will be fixed on the external wall of the preschool within the Willoughby Park Centre.

The North Shore Times understands Jesse has supported the installation, which organisers hope will be in place before the three year anniversary of the tragedy in December this year.

A photo of the Langford family in 2012.

Anthony, Kristine and Winona were among 22 people who were killed in the volcano blast, including 11 other Australians.

The family had been visiting the island as part of a cruise to celebrate Anthony’s birthday.

The funeral for Anthony, Kristine and Winona was held at Marist College in North Sydney and was attended by more than 700 people.