Longtime Queenstowner Terry Joyce, who died last month aged 80, hugely contributed to the local bowls and ice hockey clubs.

Brought up in Dunedin, he arrived in Queenstown in 1975.

While working as a porter/barman at O’Connells Hotel, he met his wife-to-be Mary the following March — she came from Australia to work there — and they ended up marrying in ’79.

Mary says he’d only intended staying in town for six months, but early on he joined the Queenstown Bowling Club, which became his second home.

Terry was not only a keen bowler, but was also a volunteer greenkeeper in the ’80s, a coach, committee member and an umpire who gained his international umpire’s badge.

He also introduced business house bowls.

Speaking at Terry’s funeral service, fellow bowler Basil Walker referred to the coaching and assistance Terry gave to countless people on the greens over a long association with the club.

While not aware he’d won any centre titles, “he always reminded us he was often the bridesmaid — it caused merriment and fun ’cos Terry never would have made a typical bridesmaid”.

Walker said when members chastised him for a bowling misdemeanour and called him Terrence, “his swift answer always was, ‘my mother only used that name when I was bad — and that wasn’t a bad bowl’”.

Through his and Mary’s son James, who was a goalie, he was also active in the Queenstown Ice Hockey Club in its formative years when it broke away from the ice skating club.

He was club secretary through much of the ’80s, and would manage kids’ teams travelling to Gore or Alexandra, for example, and shout them fish and chips.

Fittingly, the club conferred a life membership on him.

Friend Steve Rout, speaking at the service, called him a “gentle giant” who was always smiling.

“People like Terry are the fabric of the town.

“Many come and go, many think the streets are paved with gold, some think they will change it.

“Others get on and do things that support the community — that was Terry.”

After O’Connells he was a cook at Hotel Wakatipu, worked at two drycleaning businesses and sorted mail at the post office — “a familiar face you could get your mail from if you forgot your keys”, Rout said.

Mary says in recent years they were very grateful for the support they received from the Presbyterian Church.

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