Later Life
Nash, now nearly eighty years old, was not as active as he once had been. The death of his wife in 1961 also took its toll. Gradually, calls for him to retire grew more frequent. Nash, however, refused to step down partly because of a desire to continue his work and partly due to a reluctance to see Arnold Nordmeyer succeed him.
In 1963, however, Nash finally retired as leader of the Labour Party and Nordmeyer was chosen to replace him. Nash had favoured Clarence Skinner and then Fred Hackett to replace him, see New Zealand general election, 1963, but first Skinner and then Hackett died unexpectedly.
Nash remained the MP for Hutt until his death on 4 June 1968. He also became active in the protest movement against the Vietnam War, and denounced the bombing of North Vietnam by the United States. Funds for a children's ward at a hospital in Qui Nhon, Vietnam, serve as a memorial to him.
In 2008, Nash's great-grandson, Stuart Nash entered parliament as a List MP for Labour.
Nash was also clean living. He was a non-smoker and rarely drank alcohol.
Read more about this topic: Walter Nash
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