Despite a fear of flying, Rodney Boulton was saved twice by the rescue helicopter and has taken to the skies in the chopper one last time.

The Okiwi Bay man whose generous donation enabled the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter to buy its new winch was flown to his final resting place after his funeral on Saturday.

Boulton died at ​Nelson Hospital last Monday at the age of 66, after an aggressive lymphoma he was first diagnosed with in 1982 returned.

His immense gratitude after being rescued twice led him to donate the final $5776.37 so the rescue helicopter could purchase a new winch last year. 

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His sister-in-law Lyn Boulton said Rodney was driven back to Okiwi Bay in his Hilux on Friday so he could say goodbye to his favourite spots. 

Lyn said Rodney "hated flying" and would travel by boat to avoid taking a plane.

But he wanted to surprise people with an announcement at the end of his funeral that in death he finally would have conquered his fear of flying, before taking to the skies one last time. 

After his funeral on Saturday, his family had paid for Rodney's final flight in the rescue helicopter to the Marsden Valley Cemetery.

Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter general manager Paula Muddle said Rodney had personally asked her to make his final flight happen and she promised she would do her best. 

"He made it very clear to me that he wanted to go out with a bang."

She said Rodney was both an unassuming and kind character who was an avid supporter of the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter. He was also a family friend after spending time in Okiwi Bay over the years and was well known and respected in the community. 

He became a loyal supporter of the helicopter after his two rescues, first for a heart attack in 2012 and then after he collapsed after taking a bad mix of medication about two years ago.

"Being a keen fisherman and hunter, he always said it was good to know that the rescue helicopter service was there if he needed it but it was for medical reasons that he ended up flying with us.

"Last year saw him 'knock it off' by paying the final outstanding money needed to be raised for our winch campaign.  This was done in such a humble way, not wanting anything out of it for himself, just a selfless act."

He previously said he would do "anything" for the helicopter, which he credited with twice saving his life. He had extolled the virtues of the rescue service on TV, radio and in the newspaper many times.

Rodney was the longstanding chairman of the Okiwi Bay Ratepayers Association. It was Rodney himself that suggested the small community would benefit from having an automated external defibrillator (AED) based in the town.

He had no idea that only a month later that it would save his own life. 

When Rodney suffered a heart attack, it took eight shocks from the AED to stabilise his heart rhythm. 

He said at the time he didn't remember the 20-minute flight to Nelson Hospital where his blocked artery was cleared and he had a stent inserted.

However Rodney certainly remembered his second trip in the rescue helicopter years later. He had to follow the coastline back to Nelson as bad weather prevented it from flying over the hills. 

"That one was rough as guts. Let's just say the pilot can remember that one too," he said of the trip.