Surf Life Saving NSW is saddened to hear of the passing of Life Member William “Billy” Wonson. Surf Life Saving NSW is saddened to hear of the passing of Life Member William “Billy” Wonson. Surf Life Saving NSW is saddened to hear of the passing of Life Member William “Billy” Wonson.
The 76-year-old joined Gerringong SLSC in 1984 and became heavily involved as a Gear Steward and spent a lot of his time on the IRB racing circuit.
During his time at the club he was involved on numerous committees and after obtaining his radio operator certificate in 1991, he served as radio officer for several seasons.
At a Branch Level he was a Gear Inspector, Examination Co-ordinator, and South Coast Treasurer.
Billy was a competent official and refereed at a number of IRB Championships at a local and NSW level while also officiating at all levels and was a Gear Adviser at the 2000 World Rescue Championships in Manly.
At the 2000 Awards of Excellence he was recognised as Official of the Year.
Fellow Life Member Richie Lytham OAM hailed Billy as a quality worker and mate.
“I was fortunate enough to go through the Surf Official Level 3 qualification course with Billy. He was great about always getting in and having a go.
“He was definitely a logistical genius when it came to organising the gear out of the old state office and always loved jumping in and fixing things. He certainly saved us a lot of money on equipment repair bills and was a great bloke to be around,” said Richie Lytham. He was elevated to NSW Life Membership in 2006.
Our condolences go to Billy’s family and friends at this sad time.
Vale William “Billy” Wonson
Friday 18 August 2017