Michael Foy

Bowls North Harbour has lost one of its distinguished life members with the passing on Monday, June 5, of Michael Foy at the age of 88.

Michael was for many years a stalwart of the centre’s match committee working closely with another awarded life membership status in Margaret Duke. With a no nonsense approach and a strong personality he was well suited to making the tough decisions which are an inevitable part of a match committee’s role.

Before taking up bowls in the early 1990s he had been a keen, capable tennis player and as a bowler he quickly transferred some of that game’s skills to bowls and he soon excelled on the green.

Though for most of his bowls career a stalwart member of the Orewa club, Michael started playing at Browns Bay in 1993, following his wife Josie who had joined Browns Bay two years earlier. She, too, was an above average player.

In 1996 a change of residence saw them transfer to Orewa.

At Orewa he formed a formidable playing combination with Austin Smith and though much of his success was at club levels Michael did win the centre singles championship in the 1999-2000 season.

BNH president Maureen Taylor offered the Foy family the centre’s condolences and paid tribute to the exceptional service Michael gave the sport and in particular the centre, commenting he was widely respected by all his peers.