A sports all-rounder who came to the island from his native New Zealand to manage the local Kentucky Fried Chicken, as it was then known, has been remembered for raising the standard of table tennis on the island to a level that merited a debut appearance at the World Table Tennis Championships.

Gary Williams, who met his wife, Roseanne, during his time in Bermuda in the 1980s, hailed from Otago in the South Island of New Zealand and briefly represented his home province in first-class cricket.

Mr Williams contributed to Bermuda’s rugby scene as a referee as well as a player — but it was his passion for table tennis that left an indelible imprint.

His love affair with the sport began as a teenager, when he won several national junior titles in his home country, including the Under-16 Boys Singles in 1966 and 1967 and the Under-18 Mixed Doubles in 1968.

The move to Bermuda coincided with the reincarnation of the Bermuda Table Tennis Association and the return of league play in two divisions. Mr Williams was a prominent and dominant figure — first representing the Old Colony Club, then BAA and Devonshire College.

A personal highlight was being chosen as the lead player on the Bermuda team for the 1985 world championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, where he was joined by Dexter Smith, Rawle Frederick and Derrick Burrows.

Mr Williams followed up a winning individual record in Sweden by anchoring Bermuda to an all-time best finish in the Top 40 at the US Open Team Championships played in Detroit, Michigan, over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

He returned to New Zealand in 1987 to start a family, but remained committed to table tennis as an administrator, while broadening his interests to including horse racing, biking and touring.

He died at Kohimarama Beach in Auckland on November 8, aged 72, while on a regular morning swim with the High Tide Club.

Dexter Smith, the Editor of The Royal Gazette and Bermuda’s No 1 player between 1987 and 1991, said: “Gary was a fantastic player who played a significant role in the rebirth of Bermuda table tennis at competition level in the early 1980s.

“We played together in the first Bermuda team to appear at a World Table Tennis Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1985. And a few years later, he anchored the Bermuda team to their best performance at the US Open Team Championships, which were played annually in Detroit over the Thanksgiving weekend.

“At both events, he was our No 1 player — most notably coming away from the world championships with a winning individual record.

Randy Rochester (née Brangman), a former stalwart at The Centre and national doubles champion in the company of Mr Smith, recalled the daunting experience of taking on Mr Williams.

“Gary was a big fellow, always friendly and very nice to get along with, but he was very serious when he got to the table,” said Mr Rochester, who these days is the chief executive of Polaris Holding Company.

“I was almost afraid to play against Gary — he was that good. He was no-nonsense when he got on the table and took the game very seriously. I enjoyed playing against him, even though I knew I wasn’t going to beat him.

“You could learn a lot from him and his passion for the game. Forty years on, he was still coaching teams in New Zealand and winning awards. I was very saddened to hear of his passing — he will be sorely missed.”

Mr Williams served as chairman of Table Tennis New Zealand, the national governing body for the sport, from 2015 to 2018.

He also managed the Nelson Giants basketball team during the 2010s.

Mr Williams was part of the organising committee for the 2014 World Veterans Championships in Auckland, and became president of North Shore Table Tennis Association — a role he still held at the time of his death.

With his accountancy training and experience in running franchises, Mr Williams went on to own and operate McDonald’s outlets back home.

Mr Williams was also a devoted follower of racing, including investing in horses.

Along with his wife, he is survived by their three children, Guy, Maria and Paul. He will be laid to rest on Saturday, with the funeral set to be livestreamed at 247.stream/rooms/gwilliams.

Gary John Williams, businessman, table tennis champion, first-class cricketer, rugby union player and referee, was born on March 11, 1953, and died of cardiac arrest while swimming at his favourite beach on November 8, 2025, aged 72