Squash NZ Recognises Kathleen (Kathy) Hargreaves

Squash NZ is saddened to report on the passing of well-known squash personality Kathleen (Kathy) Hargreaves (nee Williams).

Kathy passed away peacefully on 19 January 2013 at the Ernest Rutherford Rest Home in Stoke (Nelson) and a funeral service will be held today at 1.30pm in Christchurch.

Canterbury Squash and fellow Masters player Barry Gardiner remembers her as a very good squash player that no one liked playing because of her ability to place the ball where her opponent wasn't! Along with being a qualified District Referee, Kathy had quite a distinguished playing career in Canterbury, New Zealand and the world stage.

Kathy first hit the Masters squash scene in 1981 where in her first year of ‘mature age’ championships, she took out the Canterbury Women’s 40-44 title, was a member of the Canterbury side that beat Southern Districts for the Viv Hargreaves Shield and came fifth in the NZ Team Champs for Canterbury where she was playing in the #2 spot.  The following year Kathy was once more a member of the victorious Viv Hargreaves Shield Canterbury team and helped Canterbury improve their National Team Championships seeding with a third placing. She came 3rd in the Canterbury Senior Open.   Two years on, Kathy came 3rd in the NZ Women’s Veterans Champs, was the Canterbury 40-45 Masters Champion and aided Canterbury to a fourth place at the National Team Championships. By 1986 she was playing in the next age group (45-49) where she took out the Canterbury Masters Open Championship title.

Five years later, Kathy won the World Over 50 Championships that were hosted in Auckland.  The Burnside Club had a function on their return from Auckland to celebrate two World Champions in the one year from one small club.

Another five years on (1996) and Kathy re-emerges as the Canterbury Masters Open 55+ champion. The following year she won the title again and helped Canterbury to win the NZ Masters Team Champs playing in the 55+ age group. And then in 1998 she won the Canterbury Masters Champion 55+ title for the third year in a row.

Kathy was also the Manager of the NZ Junior Womens Team who came 3^rd at the World Champs in Ireland in 1985.