Gary Williams

[muzenza365]

I just read that Gary has passed away.

He had a Heart Attack whilst swimming.

He raced many good horses and was the father of Guy.

RIP

[Chief Stipe]

Yes he was a regular contributor on BOAY.  Condolences to the family and those close to Gary.

[hesi]

Yes, just posted about this on the other site.  He had part ownership in Pasta Post, Tinseltown and of course Xcellent.  Probably quite a few others.

He posted regularly on RC as Tasman Man, and was indeed a very good, pro-racing poster.  I enjoyed his posts, very informative

[mikeynz]

1 minute ago, hesi said:

Yes, just posted about this on the other site.  He had part ownership in Pasta Post, Tinseltown and of course Xcellent.  Probably quite a few others.

He posted regularly on RC as Tasman Man, and was indeed a very good, pro-racing poster.  I enjoyed his posts, very informative

Tasman Man, was he from Tasman, just curious?

[hesi]

Just now, mikeynz said:

Tasman Man, was he from Tasman, just curious?

Pass

[PeterLambFan]

17 minutes ago, mikeynz said:

Tasman Man, was he from Tasman, just curious?

I don’t know for a fact but I believe Guy Williams grew up in Nelson and the family spent some time living there anyway. 

Edited Wednesday at 06:22 AM by PeterLambFan

[mikeynz]

Be interesting to wind the clock back 10 years on these forums and know how many have expired, racing is the domain it seems the older generation......similar to callers on ZB, you just never know what's happened to them if they ain't been heard for sometime.

[Chief Stipe]

40 minutes ago, hesi said:

Yes, just posted about this on the other site.  He had part ownership in Pasta Post, Tinseltown and of course Xcellent.  Probably quite a few others.

He posted regularly on RC as Tasman Man, and was indeed a very good, pro-racing poster.  I enjoyed his posts, very informative

I think you'll find he had more success with harness racing.

[Taupiri Wonder]

I met Gary on many occasions at Alex Park/Ellerslie Racetracks when he retired to Auckland.Yes,he was a Mainlander,& played first class cricket for Otago I think!

Believe he spent time working overseas,then returned to NZ & an early McDonalds Franchisee.

A keen sportsman,tabletennis in his youth & basketball administration in later years,combined with dual racing code interests.

Hesi has noted three of his glamour part-ownership horses,another was Changeover.

[Chief Stipe]

Gary owned harness horses that won 20 Grp ones.

[billy connolly]

1 hour ago, PeterLambFan said:

I don’t know for a fact but I believe Guy Williams grew up in Nelson and the family spent some time living there anyway. 

Originally from the Taieri Plains area of Mosgiel and was a neighbour of three-time Wellington Cup winner, Great Sensation.

An entertaining and eloquent poster here.

R.I.P. TAB For Ever.
 

[mikeynz]

15 minutes ago, billy connolly said:

Originally from the Taieri Plains area of Mosgiel and was a neighbour of three-time Wellington Cup winner, Great Sensation.

An entertaining and eloquent poster here.

R.I.P. TAB For Ever.
 

You sure?

[Murray Fish]

Vale @TAB For Ever  (aka The Pollyanna of things nz racing...)

Tributes for former Nelson business and sports leader Gary Williams

Gary Williams managed the Nelson Giants basketball team for several years, bringing his trademark yarns, humour and energy to the role. Photo: Supplied

Former businessman and sports administrator Gary Williams has been remembered as a passionate Nelsonian who brought humour and “wonderful energy” to his roles.

Williams, aged 72, died in Auckland a week ago after swimming at Kohimarama Beach.

In a written tribute, his son comedian Guy Williams, said his father “went out in typical showman fashion, having a heart attack during a swim with his mates at the ‘high tide club’.”

Williams said his father was a “beautiful, incredibly kind and friendly man”.

Guy Williams with his dad Gary on his show

“I think it’s high praise to say he was always friendly and happy and seemed to live to just want to make everyone around him feel happy.”

Gary Williams outside the Nelson McDonald’s he owned and operated in 2006. Photo: Phil Barnes / Nelson Mail

Gary Williams grew up in Otago where he developed his love of sports, including representing the province in cricket. After a world trip, during which he met his wife Roseanne in Bermuda, the couple moved to Nelson where they had three children, Guy, Maria and Paul.

Williams trained as an accountant and went on to be a successful business owner/operator of two McDonald’s restaurants in Nelson and Tāhunanui.

He turned his sporting talents to administration, managing the Nelson Giants basketball team for several years through the 2010s.

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In a tribute this week, the Giants said he was “always quick with a smile and never short of a yarn, Gary brought wonderful energy wherever he went.

“Gary was a passionate Nelsonian, and his work with the club was top class.”

He was also a supporter of the wider Nelson basketball community, sponsoring junior basketball and Nelson College and Nelson representative sides that sons Guy and Paul played in.

Guy Williams, shown with sister and fellow comedian Maria Williams, said their father Gary gave them an “irreverent sense of humour”. Photo: RICKY WILSON / Stuff

Guy Williams said his dad gave his children every opportunity to do whatever they wanted in life.

“I think he wanted us to be athletes but we didn’t have the talent for that, so he ended up with three comedians,” Guy Williams said.

“I think we get our irreverent sense of humour from Dad who was always funny and trying to make people laugh. Gotta emphasise the word ‘trying’ which he always taught me was the secret.“

When his playing days were over, Guy said his dad became their coach who taught the local school kids his wisdom: “Ability is one thing, reliability is everything”.

“That’s a decent quote for life I reckon. I learned a lot from my dad as a coach, he was a patient and thoughtful leader, who didn’t have time for dickheads.“

More local stories from the Nelson Mail

Read more

Guy Williams said Gary was a legendary road manager/water boy of his beloved Nelson Giants and later a table tennis administrator around Auckland.

“Gazza bloody loved horse racing his entire life, and enjoyed spending Friday nights wandering around the stables yarning to horse people about horses,” Guy Williams said. He was a small time investor in many successful race horses, most notably Xcellent who ran third at the Melbourne Cup.

Gary Williams’ funeral will be held at St Ignatius Church in St Heliers, Auckland next Saturday.

- Nelson Mail

Edited 1 hour ago by Murray Fish

[Murray Fish]

[Murray Fish]

[Chief Stipe]

59 minutes ago, Murray Fish said:

Vale @TAB For Ever  (aka The Pollyanna of things nz racing...)

Actually I used to have that opinion of Gary but before I worked out who he was I twigged to his sense of humour.  Then I saw more of the humour in his posts.  I daresay not many got it.  If you watch his cameo appearances on his son's show and other comedy appearances you get an understanding of his dry and  self deprecating wit.