Flag bearer: Garry Thompson carries the flag for Waikanae at the national surf lifesaving championships in Gisborne in 1969. Gisborne Herald file pictures
FAMILY, friends, colleagues and clubmates gathered at the funeral of Garry Thompson to celebrate the life and contribution of this local tradesman, lifeguard and sportsman.
Born in Gisborne on July 25, 1939, Garry attended the former Central Primary School in Derby Street, Gisborne Intermediate and the co-educational Gisborne High School as a student in the “industrial department”, now referred to as the “technology division”.
Having gained his School Certificate from the fifth form, Garry left school at 16. In 1956, he began an apprenticeship as an automotive machinist with Ormonds Motors, then based in Peel Street. He was to serve the company for the next 25 years before establishing his own business, Garry Thompson Engineering, in Stanley Road, from 1981.
From the earliest days of his working life he established a reputation as a perfectionist in any job entailing construction engineering. He was in particular demand from farmers and drivers when damage to the wheelbase of heavy trucks, caused by the district's shingle roads, needed attention, and from those involved in aerial topdressing, such as Fieldair, for the construction of aircraft loaders. His skills were suited to any task requiring accuracy in measurement and quality in welding — all done without the benefit of modern-day digital technology.
Garry employed that insistence on accuracy and perfection — allied to his athleticism and physical strength — in establishing an outstanding record of achievement and dedication in his sporting spheres of surf lifesaving and rugby.
He qualified as a lifeguard in 1954 as a new member of Waikanae Surf Life Saving Club and, the next year, attended his first national surf lifesaving championships, at Waihi, and was a member of the club's winning junior six-man rescue and resuscitation (R&R) team. It was the first of his many New Zealand championship successes in R&R team events. Over 23 years, until 1977, he earned a total of 30 New Zealand championship medals — 14 titles, 11 silver medals and five bronze.
Garry was a member of the team on each of the six occasions between 1962 and 1970 that the Waikanae six-man R&R team won the blue-riband event for the prized Nelson Shield. The record of five consecutive victories from 1966 to 1970 will not be broken as this event is no longer contested.
Garry's national reputation as one of the foremost exponents of this discipline was augmented by five titles and five second placings in the New Zealand senior four-man R&R event and his receipt, in conjunction with Barry McLean, of the Ted Hughes Memorial Trophy from 1966 to 1969. This was awarded to the coach or coaches of the winning Nelson Shield team.
Garry's formidable record in surf lifesaving competition was accentuated in 1969 when he captained a Gisborne Surf Life Saving Association representative team in a rare win against an otherwise all-conquering visiting Australian team. In 2004 he was awarded the Surf Life Saving New Zealand medal for 50 years of service to the national movement.
The same qualities of achievement and dedication were evident in his devotion to the game of rugby on the local scene.
In 1956 he began what was to become lifelong service to the Gisborne High School Old Boys club as a junior and senior player, senior coach and committee member, with stints as club captain in 1964 and for the seven seasons from 1975 to 1981. The award of life membership preceded his 1982-94 term as club president.
He played key roles during a period of notable club development. In the building and establishment of the clubhouse, his insistence on compliance with rules sparked debate at times but also brought recognition of his determination to see the club maintain high standards at a time of increasing social change.
On the field, he earned an enduring reputation as a strong and mobile forward. Representative recognition came early in his senior rugby career, and he had an outstanding record on the provincial scene.
His first rep game was in 1961 and, although it was mainly as a No.8 that he represented Poverty Bay for 11 years till 1971, he was in the team against the visiting Wallabies in 1962 as a front-row prop.
In 1966 the loose forward trio of Garry Thompson, “Buster” Taylor and Ian Kirkpatrick (playing his first season for the Bay) earned high praise from commentators, particularly when the touring British Lions just managed to snatch a shaky 9-6 victory over the Poverty Bay-East Coast combined team.
Altogether, Garry represented the Bay or Combined teams in four international fixtures — against Australia in 1962, South Africa in 1965 (when he was captain), the British Isles in 1966 and Fiji in 1970. He also played in a game against the NZ Maori team in 1969.
To many of those who associated with him in surf lifesaving and rugby, Garry was referred to as “Fuhrer”. They might have thought the nickname derived from his insistence on strict standards and the basics being done properly. While his demeanour on occasion might have made that explanation seem appropriate, the name was originally bestowed on him by his surf club buddies as a parody on the name of Hironoshin Furuhashi, a world-record-setting Japanese swimmer who competed at the 1952 Olympics. Both of them had what might be called — euphemistically in Garry's case — a “distinctive” freestyle stroke.
Retirement from club and provincial rugby did not bring an end to Garry's active involvement. For nine seasons (1991-99), Garry coached with the Gisborne Boys' High School first 15 as assistant to Kim Harris.
It was a period of considerable success, firmly establishing the school as one of the leading New Zealand secondary schools in rugby.
Garry's association with the GBHS team included two world championships, 1992 and '94, and tours to South America in 1993, Australia in 1994, and South Africa in 1996 and 1999. Showcase combination of this period were the 1994 team — unbeaten in 25 games against some of the best New Zealand schools, holders of the Moascar Cup, winners of the NZ Top Four competition and winners of the World School 1st XV Championship in Australia, where they beat Maritzburg College of South Africa 44-6 in the final.
Garry is survived by his family — daughters Michelle and Andrea, his grandchildren and his long-time partner, Annie. For them and many others, he leaves a memory of a fine tradesman, sportsman and team member who ticked off a variety of fabulous moments.
When Garry joined the lifeguard movement, the motto of SLSNZ was “Vigilance, Service, Endurance”. His was a life that exemplified and epitomised those catchwords.
— by Dick Glover