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| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Bummers |
Posted - 26 May 2012 : 08:01:37 AM
It is with regret I have to inform Forum members of the passing of Dave "Swampy" Williams yesterday afternoon, after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Condolences to family & friends.
RIP Swampy
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| 5 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Bummers |
Posted - 27 May 2012 : 10:10:49 PM
I first met Swampy at Intervarsity Road Races at Hume Weir in the early 70s. He and many others, with whom I still remain good friends, were in Melb Uni MCC. I was then living in Sydney and although I didn't go to the Uni of NSW, I joined the UNSWMC Club.
In '78 I moved to Melbourne for work - the only people I knew were Swampy, Rex Dell & a few other MUMCC members. (Team FURT - for those in the know :-) ).
Many an enjoyable day was spent at Swampy & Rex's house at Canterbury, imbibing in illicit substances, racing step-thrus around their backyard, generally having a great time.
A couple of years later I moved back to Sydney and later to Brisbane, with my wife Sandy. Sandy too had been a MUMCC member & has known Swamp longer than I.
Over those years we remained in touch and recently Swamp had guided me through "workshop practice" techniques on my lathe & other tips in fabrication & race bike engineering, mainly via Skype through my laptop set up at the tailstock end of my lathe.
He didn't visit us much using the same excuse Patrick related "he would have to pass through NSW!"
Only a few weeks ago Sandy & I were in Melbourne and went to see Swampy at Kyneton. He had previously told us he'd been crook & now had pancreatic cancer.
When we saw him he was great, in top spirits and as funny as ever, as also testified by those that saw him at the Bonanza. He said he was to be going into hospital, last week, to get a 1/3rd of his pancreas removed & it could be a few weeks before he would be out of hospital - he gave us his new mobile phone no. to contact him.
I'd been told pancreatic cancer was pretty "serious" but Swampy had me convinced he'd be fixed & back in action within a few weeks.
Apparently when they investigated, the Doctors found things worse than expected, did the best they could to remedy the situation but Swamp passed away after surgery.
There are a few pics of "the old days" with Swampy, here:
See: http://s1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj624/swampydave1/
Feel free to add your own or comment.
We miss you Dave.
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| Patrick |
Posted - 27 May 2012 : 8:48:55 PM
One of the treasures of the club racing scene at Broadford. The first time I met 'Swampy' we got talking about racing in Queensland and he was sort of hesitant about expanding on his thoughts so I asked him had he spent much time up there.
Was taken back a bit when he said that he had never been there!
After sort of taking this in I asked 'why not?'
His reply floored me and I guess it was then I knew I had met a real character......
He said that to get to Queensland he would have to pass through NSW!
God Speed Dave, Rest in Peace.
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| keith roberts |
Posted - 27 May 2012 : 11:57:51 AM
terrible news about swampy. he was always ready with funny , and usually rude, comments about my jaguar cars, he could (and did) say things to my wife that i did not dare, and would respond to my suggestions (?) about his harley with even more physically impossible instructions about where to put my suzukis. good friend, good listener when i was ill and full of advice and information. we'll miss the visits and the chats.
keith & maggie roberts |
| Allan |
Posted - 26 May 2012 : 10:58:15 AM
Sad news, remember SWAMPY and his T500 mni good times |
| john feakes |
Posted - 26 May 2012 : 09:02:47 AM
I was lucky enough to enjoy his company for a while at the Bonanza.
Little did I know that it would be the last time. |
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