OBITUARY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 February 1943, Page 2

OBITUARY

MR JAMES CHARLES EWINGTON COLLAPSE ON PARK BOWLING ' GREEN. WELL-KNOWN MASTERTON RESIDENT. The death occurred suddenly, on the Masterton Park Bowling Club’s green on Saturday afternoon, of Mr Joseph Charles Ewington, a well-known and most highly-respected resident of Masterton. He was in his 82nd year and had a lifetime of faithful public service to his credit. A gloom was cast over the Park Club's green on Saturday afternoon by Mr Ewington’s dqath. He was taking part in the final of the championship fours and half way through the game the afternoon tea adjournment was taken, when Mr Ewington collapsed. Dr Rich was called but could, only pronounce life to be extinct. The late Mr Ewington was an old and valued member, not only of the Park Club, but also of the Mas ter ton Bowling Club, and his death came as a great shock to his many fellow bowlers. He was a very keen bowler of considerable merit and was a familiar figure on the greens of this town, as well as elsewhere, particularly at Blenheim, which town he visited annually with a Masterton team. He was the prime mover in instituting the veterans’ competition, for which he donated handsome trophies, and it was only recently that he took part in the official opening of the competition on the Park Club greens.

Prior to the dispersal of the large attendance ’of Park Club members on Saturday, Captain T. Carr, a padre of the forces, a bowler and a frequent visitor, to the club over a number of years, conducted a short service on the green, which will remain closed until after the funeral. The name of Ewington has long been associated with the growth of Masterton. Mr James Ewington and his family arrived in New Zealand in 1874, coming to the Wairarapa district, and ten years later established in Masterton a coachbuilding and blacksmith business under the name of Ewington & Son. In 1891 Mr Ewington, Senr., retired on account of ill health, leaving his son, Mr J. C. Ewington, the sole proprietor. Since that time the business has expanded considerably and is now the largest engineering works and foundry in the district. In addition to his business interests, he had a farm property at Miki Miki of 2300 acres of leasehold and freehold land, where he combined dairying with wool growing and cattle raising.

Mr Ewington had a long record of service on public bodies. He was a member of the Masterton Borough Council for 15 years, of the Wairarapa Hospital Board for 30 years from the time of its inception, chairman of the Masterton Co-operative Dairy Co., Ltd., for over 30 years; chairman of the Co-operative Dairy Producers’ Freezing Co., Ltd., Wellington; a director of the Producers’ Co-operative Agency and of the Workers’ Mutual Benefit Building Society and chairman of the Masterton Unemployment Committee. For many years he was actively connected with the Masterton Fire Brigade and in recognition of his services he was elected a life member of the brigade. The late Mr Ewington was wellknown in Masonic circles, having been a member of Masterton No. 19 Lodge over a long period of years. In his younger days he was a prominent Wairarapa footballer. He was a member of the Red Star Club from its earliest days and played in the first fifteen over fifty-five years ago, another footballer who was in the same team with Mr Ewington for several years being Mr W. Iggulden, who still resides-in Masterton. For many years Mr Ewington was p valued official of the club. A son, Mr J. Ewington, played for a number of years for the Red Star Club as did other members of the Ewington family. He married Miss Augusta Schultz, of Masterton, and is survived by his widow, two sons, Mr Joseph James Ewington, manager of the engineering business, and Mi' Alfred Charles Ewington, who is farming on the Miki Miki property, and one daughter, Miss Violet Ewington, of Masterton. The sympathy of a wide circle of friends will be extended to the bereaved relatives. The funeral took place this afternoon.