Desmond Smith O.B.E
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Desmond Bruce Smith O.B.E (1932 - 2002)

Desmond Bruce Smith O.B.E
Born in Wellington, New Zealandmap
Ancestors ancestors
Son of and
Husband of [private wife (1950s - unknown)]
Descendants descendants
Father of , [private son (1960s - unknown)], [private son (1960s - unknown)] and
Died at age 69 in Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealandmap
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Profile last modified | Created 24 May 2016
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Biography

Notables Project
Desmond Smith O.B.E is Notable.
Desmond Managed the New Zealand Team at the Olympic Games
New Zealand
Desmond Smith O.B.E lived in Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand.

Desmond Bruce Smith was born on 8 Oct 1932 in Wellington, New Zealand. He was the son of Angus Otto Hans Smith and Alice Margaret Smith (nee Weston).[1]

He began competitive cycling at age 14[2]

Des with his collection.

Within 18 years, he went on to win more than 38 New Zealand championship medals, mainly in track events. He represented New Zealand in 1957 in the Medeka Games, which marked Malaysia’s independence, winning two gold and four silver medals.[2]

When he retired, after 20 years of competition, he joined the selection panel of the New Zealand Amateur Cycling Association. Mr Smith was on the panel for eight years, the last four as convener. In the late 1960s, he was the cycling advocate for the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association. He has managed several Canterbury and national cycling teams, including the cycling squad, which won New Zealand’s first two gold cycling medals in a Commonwealth Games, in Edinburgh, in 1970.[2]

About 1971, Des started in the Taxis business, He was the chairman of Gold Band Taxis in Christchurch for 12 years.[2][3] In January 1989, Des said the company had agreed to call for volunteers among the taxi drivers to help cyclists competing in the 35km time-trial World Games for the Deaf cycling event.[4]

In 1981 Desmond received an appointment as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), Civil Division in New Zealand for his services to cycling.[5]

Des passed away on 3 Mar 2002 in Christchurch, New Zealand[6]

Sources

  1. ↑ New Zealand Births, Deaths and Marriages - Online. Registration: 1936/64767; Name: Desmond Bruce Smith; Parents: Alice Margaret & Angus Otto Hans accessed 15 Feb 2024; citing New Zealand Crown, Copyright: The Department of Internal Affairs
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Cycling helmets vitally important PRESS, 20 APRIL 1989, PAGE 34 (https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19890420.2.142? : accessed on 15 Feb 2024)
  3. ↑ Employee of Des Smith Mentioned in Article Dedicated track cyclist PRESS, 3 FEBRUARY 1989, PAGE 26 (https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19890203.2.118.5? : accessed on 15 Feb 2024)
  4. ↑ Taxis to back-up cyclists PRESS, 11 JANUARY 1989, PAGE 6 (https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19890111.2.44? : 15 Feb 2024)
  5. ↑ 1981 New Year Honours, Wikipedia.
  6. ↑ * New Zealand Births, Deaths and Marriages - Online Registration: 2002/5334; Name: Desmond Bruce Smith; Date of Birth: Saturday, 8 October 1932; accessed 15 Feb 2024; citing New Zealand Crown, © The Department of Internal Affairs




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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Desmond by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Desmond:

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