Dr Harold Ernest Arundal Moody

We record with great regret the death of Harold Moody on 12th September at his home in Auckland, New Zealand. He had fought cancer for over two years and was working on the morning of the day he died. He was 70.

He was born in 1915 in Peckham, where his Jamaican father had a medical practice. He began athletics at Alleyn's School and King's College Hospital Medical School and in the Army, in which he served with the RAMC. In June 1946 he joined S.L.H. and soon made his mark, coached by Franz Stampfl. He won the Surrey Shot 1947/50, the Southern Championship 1947/48 and in the AAA Championship he was 3rd in 1946/47, 2nd in 1948/49. He first won International Honours in 1947, when he represented GB v. France and won the Shot; he represented GB in the 1948 Olympics and England in the 1950 Empire Games in Auckland, NZ. when he was 2nd in the shot. While in NZ he found the country so attractive, like several others in the English team, that he decided to emigrate and set up his medical practice in Auckland.

In Auckland he joined Lynndale AA & HC and competed for several seasons, winning the NZ Shot in 1952/53 and the Discus in 1953.

His best performances in both events were 46'11¾"/14.32m. and 138'6"/42.22m.

He was a very loyal Irrepressible - we remember asking him to turn out in a trophy meeting on a day when he very much wanted to be at White City to see what promised to be a record-breaking 880 between his great friend Arthur Whit and Whitfield (US), Olympic 400m and 800m. champions respectively. He cursed us roundly, then said he would turn out - and he did. In 1954 he instituted a postal match between Lynndale and SLH, presenting both Clubs with shields on which to record results: Lynndale's was made of English woods, SLH's of New Zealand woods.

He served Lynndale well, especially with its children's section and in helping provide their Club HQ. For six years he was Mayor of Glen Eden, which public service was at the expense of his medical practice.

He leaves a widow and four daughters.

South London Harriers Gazette 1986