Dedicated rugby man touched people’s lives
OBITUARY
He gave 80 years of service to the sport he loved.
Auckland Rugby owes a great deal to Dave Dalgleish, 88, who died on June 12.
He was an active administrator of the Auckland Rugby Union, Primary Schools Regional Rugby Union and Teachers Eastern Rugby Club.
In 1997 he was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to rugby.
He was born in Gisborne in 1927 and his family moved to Northcote to follow his father’s work as a shipping engineer.
In Auckland his love for rugby grew and spurred a strong contribution to the local scene.
His eldest daughter Janet Dalgleish says her father was always motivated to help in any way he could.
‘‘He had many distractions and rugby was probably one of them,’’ she says.
‘‘He was always a practical man, just wanted to get on and do things. He had an amazing ability with people.’’
After leaving school Mr Dalgleish spent a few years working in carpentry until a friend inspired a career change to teaching.
And after hanging up his boots in his mid-20s he was not one to sit idly on the sidelines.
He lived in Greenlane and over the years held almost every administrative position at Teachers Eastern Rugby Club, while also holding leadership positions in several Auckland schools.
Auckland Primary Schools’ Rugby Union president Howard Perry first came under his leader- ship as a teacher at Pasadena Intermediate.
‘‘Dave thought of school administration as quite straightforward,’’ Perry says.
‘‘He was a hard working man who expected his teachers to work hard. He spent enormous hours volunteering in rugby but also his dedication to his teachers was huge. He was a leader.’’
He inspired loyalty. While principal at Henderson Intermediate, Janet Dalgleish says her father had much of the staff involved in ‘‘extra-curricular work’’.
‘‘I found all his staff were involved in Teachers Eastern in some way or another,’’ she says.
‘‘He touched a number of people’s lives.’’
Dave Dalgleish is survived by his wife Verleen, children Janet, Karen and Suzanne, and five grandchildren.
A funeral service was held on June 17.