This morning (February 8) Faye Staughton, Life Member of Gippsland Swimming, Bairnsdale Swimming Club and EGWD, passed away. Faye was 93.
Faye, as many of you will know, has long been a ‘fixture’ in the Gippsland Swimming Community – most recently officiating as a starter when poor mobility kept her from walking the pool deck.
Son Mark tells me that she began her involvement with swimming when he was 6 or 7 and someone was needed to coach, and someone was needed to officiate at carnivals, and someone was needed to teach swimming. Faye put her hand up and continued to do so for the next 50 years. He told me that when she began to coach the then Bairnsdale club, they were training in the river. She worked her way through the ranks of officiating, starting as a time keeper and learning all of the poolside jobs to later most often be found judging stroke, refereeing and starting.
We all have fond memories of Faye. Even at 89 years of age, Faye was dedicated to local swimming and ensuring that meets were qualifying events. She was dependable, knowledgeable, and a good friend. The time that Faye fell into the deep end of the pool at a swim meet at Churchill lives on in the folklore of Gippsland Swimming.
Faye loved nothing more than to share news of grandchildren and even great grandchildren. Her family was very dear to her and her annual trips to Queensland to visit her daughter were the only thing that kept her from the pool (that and calling Bingo at the RSL!).
We think of Faye’s loving family at this time and remember Faye with gratitude for her many years of service to Giippsland Swimming.
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