Newspaper Article 1976 – Man who chaired A and P Society committee dies

Man who chaired A and P Society committee dies

A retired farmer, Mr Paul H. M. Williams, former chairman of the Hawke’s Bay A and P Society’s grounds committee, died on Sunday. He was 68.

He was born in Gisborne and educated at Heretaunga School, Hastings, and Christ’s College, Christchurch.

As a young man he took up farming and worked on several back-country stations until the Second World War.

During the war he served with the Royal New Zealand Naval Reserve in Europe and South-East Asia as a navigator in tank landing craft.

In 1946 he moved from Gisborne to Puketapu where he bought and farmed Wainui until 1974.

For many years Mr Williams was connected with the development and supervision of Mangatawhiti Station, Wairoa, and Waipoapoa Station, Maraetotara.

He joined the A and P Society in 1953. During his time as chairman of the grounds committee, from 1967 to 1975, considerable changes were made to the grounds including construction of the grandstand.

Since 1974 he lived in retirement at Havelock North.

He is survived by his wife, Dinah, two sons Peter (Waipoapoa Station), Gerard (Auckland) and two daughters, Wendy (Mrs Gavin Falloon, Masterton), and Robin (Mrs R. Ashley Wilson, Auckland).