David Lange - Personal Life

Personal Life

In 1989 Lange separated from his wife of 21 years and admitted to a long-running affair with his speech-writer, Margaret Pope, whom he later married. The matter became extremely public, with both Naomi Lange and Lange's own mother publicly attacking his behaviour. He later became reconciled with both. He had three children, Roy, Emily, Byron (now in their 30s) with his first wife (Naomi) and one daughter, Edith, with his second wife (Margaret Pope).

In the 1990s Lange's health declined, with diabetes and kidney disorders, mostly resulting from obesity. In 2002, doctors diagnosed Lange as having amyloidosis, a rare and incurable blood plasma disorder. He underwent extensive medical treatment for this condition. Although initially told he had only four months to live, Lange defied his doctors' expectations, and remained "optimistic" about his health. He entered hospital in Auckland in mid-July 2005 to undergo nightly peritoneal dialysis in his battle with end-stage kidney-failure. On 2 August, he had his lower right leg amputated without a general anaesthetic, as a result of diabetes complications.

His declining health resulted in the bringing-forward of the publication of his memoir My Life to 8 August 2005. TV3 broadcast an earlier pre-recorded interview (with John Campbell) on the same day.

In his last interview, given to the Herald on Sunday from his hospital bed, he made a potent intervention in New Zealand's 2005 election campaign by saying he "wanted to get out of bed and get a wheel-chair to Wellington" to stop any relaxation of his ban on nuclear ships.

Lange died of complications associated with his renal failure and blood disease in Middlemore Hospital in Auckland on 13 August 2005. The David Lange Memorial Trust has erected a memorial to him in Otahuhu.