It is with great sadness that Ashbury Netball Club advises the recent passing of Mrs Valda Evans after a short illness. Mrs Evans, as she was fondly known to the majority of us, was involved in netball since her early school days. Later, when her own daughters started to play Netball for St Francis Xaviers Primary School, Ashbury, she became involved in coaching and umpiring. In 1971 she wanted to make sure there was an avenue for players to continue to play netball after they left primary school and Ashbury Netball Club was formed - entering the Inner Western Suburbs Netball competition in 1972 with just four teams. Mrs Evans held the position of President of Ashbury NC from its inception in 1972 to 2017 and Ashbury has grown to be one of the biggest clubs competing in the IWSNA competition. Not only did she devote so much time to her Club but at IWSNA level she also held various Executive and Office Bearer positions, including Representative Coach for a number of years. Mrs Evans was awarded Life Membership of Ashbury Netball Club in 1982 and Life Membership of IWSNA in 1983. She has also been the recipient of numerous Netball Service awards at Club, Association and Netball NSW level and a recipient of the Australian Sports Medal awarded by Canterbury City Council in 2000.
Mrs Evans has championed netball for over 60 years, giving hundreds and hundreds of young girls and women the opportunity to learn and play this great sport of ours. She leaves a distinguished legacy having been involved with netballers over three generations and we are so very grateful that she opened her heart and home for the benefit of all of us.
Above all Mrs Evans was a much loved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and we offer our sincere condolences to her family and thank them for sharing this amazing woman with us.
A quiet, unassuming, selfless woman who had a passionate determination and gave so much to her sport - she will be teaching someone how to catch a ball somewhere
Vale Mrs Evans, with much love and respect