‘One of the greatest’
Hamilton City councillor and former Silver Fern Margaret Forsyth has died after a short illness.
Forsyth, 59, was serving her third term as a Hamilton City councillor. She first served from 2010 to 2016 and was elected again in 2019. In this present term she chaired the council’s environment committee.
She had been on sick leave since April, following a recent cancer diagnosis.
Her council colleagues were quietly told of her death shortly before the start of a meeting yesterday morning to discuss the long-term plan – and the news immediately brought councillor Angela O’Leary to tears.
The councillors soldiered on through most of the day without saying a word about Forsyth’s death until 2.30pm, when a minute’s silence was held.
In a statement, Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate said Forsyth was a ‘‘stoic and principled’’ councillor who was forthright and considered in her views.
‘‘Margaret was not afraid to speak her mind and to take a firm position on issues that were important to her and to our community. She delivered exceptional service to our city in many ways, over many, many years,’’ she said.
‘‘She was an outstanding role model for young women in particular. She was well-loved and respected and her passing will be a huge shock to many. I and her many friends and colleagues at work are deeply saddened and send the family our love at this time.’’
O’Leary said Forsyth was both a colleague and a ‘‘kind and caring friend’’.
‘‘We became fast friends at council as soon as Marg was elected and I loved her for her straight-talking and no-nonsense approach. She was very kind and very loyal and I will miss her dreadfully.’’
Forsyth first advocated for an overall cycling plan for the city and it was fitting a long-term cycling strategy was approved by the council just last week, O’Leary said.
‘‘Having that cycling plan in place will be one of Margaret’s legacies for the city, but there are many others. She was passionate about getting more women involved in politics and she was incredibly supportive of others who put themselves forward and tried to make a positive difference.’’
Southgate said she had ordered the flags outside the council building to be lowered to half-mast. Funeral details and an announcement of a council tribute to Forsyth would be forthcoming.
Hailed as one of the greats of the game, Forsyth featured in the Silver Ferns’ Netball World Championship victories in 1979 and 1987.
A goal-attack, she played 64 tests in the black dress.
She was head coach of the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic netball team in
2017 and 2018. Forsyth was also the assistant coach of the New Zealand Fast 5 team in 2017 and the New Zealand A team in 2016.
She was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the
2020 New Year’s Honours.
‘‘It’s very exciting, I am very humbled and just feel very grateful to be acknowledged in such a way,’’ she said at the time.
She began playing netball when she was about 7 years old, at Knighton primary school in
Hamilton’s Hillcrest.
‘‘It was school netball, I think you had to be a certain age to play on a Saturday. So in the early days, I remember being frustrated because we couldn’t play more often.’’
Her love of the sport continued with her excelling and in 1979, aged 17, she became the youngest New Zealander to appear at a Netball World Championship.
She made her debut against the Jamaican Sunshine Girls and became part of a formidable shooting combination with another rising shooter, Margharet Matenga.
The two shooters were known for their speed, vision and flair, and developed into one of the best shooting combinations of that generation. Forsyth, however, was forced to retire at 27 due to a degenerative knee condition.
Netball New Zealand chief executive Jennie Wyllie said the netball community was mourning the loss of an identity of the game.
‘‘Marg has left a significant imprint on New Zealand’s netball landscape,’’ she said.
Forsyth was part of the all-conquering 1987 team which won the Netball World Cup in Scotland and would be remembered as a Silver Fern with a strong work ethic and an abundance of natural skill.
‘‘Even when injury forced Marg to hang up her bib, her love of the game spilled over into coaching, and there will be many netballers she has guided, in both the Waikato and at national level, who will fondly remember the netball coach,’’ Wyllie said.
‘‘We were delighted to see her recognised in the New Year’s Honours last year as an acknowledgment for what she has given to both our sport and her community.
‘‘We are deeply saddened at her passing and send Marg’s family our love at this time.’’
Forsyth also worked as a primary school and physical education teacher, and was in the police for five years.
She is survived by her three sons, Thomas, Jonathan and Lucien. She also recently became a grandmother for the first time, to Rosie-Rae.