We are saddened to report the death, after a short illness, of Doreen Clark.
Doreen entered the scene of Wiltshire swimming in the early ’60 ‘s when she moved from her native Yorkshire. She was coach at Swindon Dolphin ASC for 10 years, almost immediately taking the club to a top club in the Western Counties. Always working as an unpaid volunteer, she was at the time the top coach in the County, forming the first County Development Squad with the Coco Cola sponsorship in 1968 and remaining as County Coach until 1982; she was a founder member of the BSCA, a coach on the Loughborough Courses and passed the ASA Coaches Certificate in 1969.
She was a member on the District swimming Committee from its inception in 1967 until 1992, and was appointed an GB Chaperone in the early 70’s. Her GB blazer being a cherished possession.
She was Wilts ASA County Secretary from 1970 -73 and was nominated as Wilts President in 1979. and Life member in 1989. This was followed by Western Counties President in 1989 and an 1991 the ASA gave her the accolade of the Alf Turner Award.
In 1973 Doreen was a founder member of Wroughton ASC taking the position of Coach until 1985 and then President, a position she held until illness necessitated her move back to Yorkshire in 2003, still remaining a Life member of the club until last week.
An extremely hard act to follow, typically Yorkshire, she called a spade a spade and definitely did not suffer fools gladly; but the support and expertise she gave to her swimmers was phenomenal. She worked endlessly within the County on swimmer, coach and parent development years before we all heard of Development Plans and those seeds sown are still bearing fruit for Wiltshire today.
We offer our condolences to her daughters Hilary, Meryl, Alison and Andy. She will long be loved and remembered.
Source: www.wiltshireswimming.org
