Dear Chatters, Looks like I found what I was looking for after all. Here's what I've got ... sounds like he was a great fellow...
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE: Coach farewelled - Tributes flowed at the funeral last week of highly respected local swimming coach Steve Hughes. He was a life member of the Bay of Plenty Swimming Centre and Arawa Swimming Club for which he was the coach for nearly 30 years. Several of his swimmers attained national success. Dean Walter won gold medals in open distance freestyle events while Michael Lee, David Dawson, Michelle Rankin and Kylie Lang were among those to win gold medals at national age group level. Mr Hughes' long teaching career ended when he retired from Malfroy Primary School in 1993.
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE: Dedication will be missed - Stephen Owen Lesley (Steve) Hughes coached many young swimmers, some to the top level, and dedicated his life to the sport without ever having learned to swim himself. Mr Hughes died suddenly last Thursday aged 62. He was a life member of the Arawa Swimming Club where he coached for almost 30 years and was also a life member of the Bay of Plenty Swimming Centre. Mr Hughes was a former deptuy principal at Malfroy Primary School - a position he held from the mid-1970s until he took retirement in 1993 due to failing hearing. He was born near Hawera and moved around the North Island with his parents before attending teachers' training college at Ardmore. After completing training, he taught for almost 40 years - in Ngaruawahia (where he was credited with reviving competitive swimming), Taupo and Rotorua. Younger brother Andrew Hughes said his brother was a representative hockey player, loved music, golf and swimming and also drove buses in Hamilton for a number of years. "He was my brother, teacher, friend and advisor and he was very dedicated to his family," Andrew Hughes said. Bay of Plenty Swimming patron and foundation member of the Arawa Club Roly Webb said he had always been very impressed with Mr Hughes' knowledge and the way he applied it. "I'll always remember that he would have been one of the most valued officials that the Bay of Plenty Centre and Arawa Club have ever had," he said. At the time of his death, Mr Hughes was carnival secretary of the Bay Centre. He was also actively coaching swimmers as the head coach for the Arawa club which he had dedicated a great deal of his life to. In 1986, Mr Hughes was honoured nationally with his election to wear the New Zealand Swimming Service Award blazer. During his involvement with swimming he was also Bay Centre record secretary, selector, qualified inspector of turns, judge, time keeper and examiner of time keepers. Former Malfroy Primary School assistant principal Pat Wyatt said Mr Huhges had a love of children. "He would have been one of the most even-tempered teachers I have ever met and he related very well to the children," she said. "He managed with a quiet manner to get the best ouf of them." During his time at Malfroy Primary School, Mr Hughes served on occasion as acting principal and was a driving force behind introducing computers into the school in the early 1980s. Friend Ngaire Lee said she would always remember Mr Hughes as being around swimming. "I can't imagine swimming without Steve there", she said. Current Arawa Swimming Club president Doug McNab said without Mr Hughes the club would not have remained in existence for the past five years. "He was a real stalwart. There would be a lot of swimmers around that owed a lot to Steve," Mr McNab said. Mr Hughes funeral service will be held at Grays Memorial Chapel at 11am tomorrow. He is survived by his mother, Martha, sisters Ruth and Mary and brother Andrew.
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE: Hughes, Stephen Owen Lesley. Suddenly at home on 3 Feb 2000. Dearly loved son of Martha and the late Stephen. Loved brother of Mary, Ruth and Andrew. A service for Steve will be held 11am, Thursday, 10 Feb 2000, at the JH Gray Memorial Chapel, Cnr Amohau/Pukuatua Sts, Rotorua, followed by private cremation. In lieu of flowers a donation may be made to the National Heart Foundation, PO Box 703, Rotorua, or left in the donation box provided at the service. In the care of Grays Funeral Services, Rotorua FDANZ.
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE: Hughes, Steve. At Rotorua, deeply respected and admired Swimming Bay of Plenty Life Member and Carnival Secretary, a man who dedicated his whole life to the promotion of the sport of swimming. Steve will be sadly missed by all those who admired and respected his commitment to the sport. Farewell Steve, from the President and members Swimming Bay of Plenty.
HUGHES, Steve - (suddenly). A man who gave much but took little. A man who will live on through the qualities he instilled in others. Dedication, pride, self belief. A man who will be missed but never forgotten. Bruce, Frances, Michelle, Chris and Bruce Rankin and Darryl Follows.
and much more...
Al.
