Life Member – Jack Gillespie

Erica AyresNews

The Staff and Board are saddened to hear of the passing of Bowls Canterbury Life Member – Jack Gillespie.

Jack passed away on Monday 11th May 2020. Jack was not only a Life Member of Bowls Canterbury but also at Woolston Park Bowling Club where he was also the Woolston Park BC longest standing member.

Jack was a heavily involved with the Bowls Canterbury Match Committee between the 1980’s through to the late 1990’s. This involved orgainising and running most of the Bowls Canterbury Tournaments.

We send our condolences to Jack’s Family at this time.

Due to Alert Level 2, the family has already held a private funeral and hope that people are able to remember Jack in your own way during this time.

Messages to the Gillespie family, c/- PO Box 111-01, Christchurch 8443.

Eulogy from Jack’s Funeral – From the Woolston Park BC

Jack was a very dedicated member of the Woolston Park Bowling Club, a club that he joined in 1965. He was a member of the the committee that arranged to run Housie at the Woolston Tavern and Ferrymead Tavern back in the 70’s and it was that committee under Jack’s guidance that set the foundation for the club in its current state. Jack was instrumental in starting the club’s Children’s Xmas Party many years ago, which is still being held to this day.

Jacks attendance at our last AGM in June 2019 was his 52nd consecutive AGM and a record I’m sure that will never be broken at our club.

Jack served as our club President for 7 years. His first season being 1966/67, his second stint was from 1971-74 and his last term was from 1988-90.

As a bowler he won 16 club titles, some of those with his son David.

He was deservedly elected to Life Membership of the club in 1983.

Jack was elected to the Canterbury Centre in 1979, joined the Centre Match Committee In 1980 and was Convenor of this Committee from 1985 through to 1998. 13 years in total. He was elected President of the Centre for the 1984/85 season, elected to Life Membership of the Centre in 1994 and in 1995 was awarded both the Canterbury Sports Administrator of the Year title and the Canterbury Volunteer Service of the Year award.

Jack was elected as a Bowls NZ Councillor in 1985, a position he held until 1989 when Ill health forced him to resign, but overcoming this was re-elected in 1993 through to 1996.

In 2001 Jack was awarded the QSM for outstanding service to sport.

A lifetime dedicated to bowls from the grassroots club level to the highest level in NZ. A life well lived, littered with achievements, all so very well deserved.