Graham Davy

{{Short description|New Zealand athlete and sports administrator (1936–2018)}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Graham Davey

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|OBE|size=100%}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1936|10|04|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Auckland, New Zealand

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2018|06|18|1936|10|04|df=yes}}

| death_place = Auckland, New Zealand

| spouse = {{marriage|Janette Catherine McKenzie|1960}}

| occupation = Accountant

| country = New Zealand

| sport = Track and field

| nationals = 100 yards champion (1960)

}}

Graham John Davy {{post-nominals|country=NZL|OBE|size=85%}} (4 October 1936 – 18 June 2018) was a New Zealand athlete and sports administrator. He won one national athletics title, and served as the chair of directors of the New Zealand Sports Foundation.

Biography

Born in the Auckland suburb of Herne Bay on 4 October 1936, Davy was the son of John Baxter Davy and Georgiana Alleyne Davy (née Litchfield).{{cite web |url=https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/search/search?path=%2FqueryEntry.m%3Ftype%3Ddeaths |title=Death search: registration number 2018/16061 |website=Births, deaths & marriages online |publisher=Department of Internal Affairs |accessdate=22 June 2018}}{{cite news |title=Births |work= The New Zealand Herald |date=5 October 1936 |page=1 }}{{cite journal |editor-last=Taylor |editor-first=Alister |editor-link=Alister Taylor |title=New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa 2001 |journal=New Zealand Who's Who, Aotearoa |year=2001 |publisher=Alister Taylor Publishers |location=Auckland |issn=1172-9813 |page=270}} He was educated at Auckland Grammar School, and went on to study at Auckland University College and Seddon Memorial Technical College, qualifying as an accountant.

In 1960, Davy married Janette Catherine McKenzie, and the couple went on to have three children.

As an athlete, Davy won the New Zealand national 100 yards title representing Auckland in 1960, with a time of 9.6 seconds.{{cite web |url=http://www.anzrankings.org.nz/userfiles/file/National_Champions.pdf |title=National champions 1887–2016 |date=December 2016 |page=12 |publisher=Athletics New Zealand |accessdate=22 June 2018 |first=Stephen |last=Hollings}}{{cite news |title=Fiasco looming for athletics showpiece |work=The Evening Post |first=T.P. |last=McLean |authorlink= Terry McLean |date=26 August 1995 |page=51}}

Davy served as secretary of the Auckland Amateur Athletic Association, and in that role in 1972 he helped Arthur Lydiard get a job with Winstone Ltd that enabled Lydiard to assist athletes and coaches throughout New Zealand.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XCJvgIchxmEC&pg=PA244 |title=Arthur Lydiard: master coach |first=Garth |last=Gilmour |page=244 |year=2005 |publisher=Exisle |location=Titirangi |isbn=9781458779649 |accessdate=22 June 2018}} The same year, Davy was the athletics team manager for the New Zealand team at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.{{cite news |title=Running down a dream |work=Nelson Mail |first=Gavin |last=Bertram |date=6 August 2012 |page=11}} He was involved in the formation of the New Zealand Sports Foundation in 1979,{{cite news |title=Sport is in good hands |work=Sunday Star Times |first=T.P. |last=McLean |authorlink= Terry McLean |date=12 May 1996 |page=13}} and served as a director and chair of the directorate of that body.{{cite web |url=https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/indexcards/id/315969 |title=Index Card: Davy, Graham |year=1979 |publisher=Kura Heritage Collections Online (Auckland Council Libraries) |accessdate=11 October 2024}} In 1981, he became the inaugural president of the Pacific Conference Games Federation.{{cite web |url=http://www.athletics.org.nz/Portals/24/Files/Administration/Annual%20reports%20Pre%202009/Annual%20Report%201980-1981.pdf |title=94th Annual report |date=15 October 1981 |page=4 |publisher=New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association |accessdate=22 June 2018}} He was the director of athletics at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, held in Auckland.

Davy died on 18 June 2018.{{cite news |url=http://notices.nzherald.co.nz/obituaries/nzherald-nz/obituary.aspx?n=graham-john-obe-davy&pid=189352527 |title=Graham Davy death notice |date=22 June 2018 |work= The New Zealand Herald |accessdate=22 June 2018}}

Honours and awards

Davy was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977, and the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.

In the 1986 Queen's Birthday Honours, Davy was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to sport.{{London Gazette |issue=50553 |date=14 June 1986 |page=32 |supp=3}} He was also a life member of Athletics Auckland.{{cite web |url=http://athleticsauckland.co.nz/Portals/5/Documents/2013%20AGM%20Minutes.pdf |title=Minutes of the 2013 annual general meeting |date=27 June 2013 |page=1 |publisher=Athletics Auckland |accessdate=22 June 2018}}

References

Category:1936 births

Category:2018 deaths

Category:People educated at Auckland Grammar School

Category:University of Auckland alumni

Category:Auckland University of Technology alumni

Category:New Zealand male sprinters

Category:New Zealand sports executives and administrators

Category:New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire

Category:Athletes from Auckland

Category:New Zealand Athletics Championships winners

Category:20th-century New Zealand sportsmen