It is with great sadness that Mainland Football acknowledges the passing of our Patron and Life Member, Jack Killick.

On behalf of the entire footballing community, we would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to Marlene, Debbie, Sharon, Allan, Mike and the extended Killick family.

Jack was elected Patron of Mainland Football in 2016, however his involvement with football kicked off in 1947 as a 6-year-old, playing for St Theresa’s Primary. He would go on to play for Technical College, Shamrock and Riccarton in the senior grades where he was also selected to play for Canterbury. He continued to play, while also turning his hand to coaching when his sons took up the game at both Shamrock and at St Thomas’s. 

In 1980, Jack took up the whistle as a hugely respected referee. He subsequently totalled up hundreds of games until retiring in 1998 just before his 60^th birthday. The call of the beautiful game was still strong so he took up Referee Assessing where he became a member of the Mainland Football Referees’ Committee and also the Referees’ Observer on the Mainland Football Judiciary Panel. He was subsequently awarded Life Membership by Mainland Football Referees in 2011, which later became Life Membership of Mainland Football. Jack’s appointment as Patron of Mainland Football in 2016 was universally applauded, testimony to the respect he had earned as player, referee and lifelong supporter of football.

Jack’s influence on football extended well beyond his own deeds, as both sons Allan and Mike, daughter Sharon as well as 4 grandkids have, or are still, playing football. Mike has also continued the legacy of the Killick name within the refereeing community and has ensured this will be for a few more years yet as his son Zack is the third generation of Killick refereeswithin Christchurch. Not to be outdone, Jack’s other daughter Debbie has been a long time member of the Parklands Football Club and has been President of the Club for a number of years.

Throughout all this activity, as well as in Jack’s life away from football, his loving wife Marlene has always been there as his true companion. We all feel the loss of Jack’s passing and we offer our deepest respects to Marlene and all the family at this sad time.

A celebration of Jack’s life will be held this Friday at 4:00pm at the premises of John Rhind Funeral Directors located at 19 London Street, Christchurch with a reception after the ceremony being held at the same location.  Once this is concluded we will also be having an after-match function at the Sprig & Fern Merivale from 6:30pm onwards.

Article added: Tuesday 25 July 2023