RIP - John Hand
It is with great sadness that NRANZ passes on the news of the death of NRANZ Life Member Mr John Hand. John passed away peacefully on Christmas Eve day, after a period of declining health. It was John's wish that he be cremated with a small gathering of family members only. John was born in March 1931 and died at the age of 94.
John remained single most of his early life training and working as a builder. John was a keen hunter in his early days and spent more time hunting than at work. As a young man John also played Tennis and enjoyed watching tennis throughout the remainder of his life. In the 1950s John took up small bore rifle shooting and shot at the Keene Range in Lower Hutt. John was selected for the Hutt Valley Team to participate in the first North Island Teams of Ten event, which the Hutt Valley team won.
In the late 1950s John decided to try Full Bore Rifle Shooting, joining the Petone Rifle Club. John was a keen club member making the number one club team on many occasions. John's best effort in the Ballinger Belt championship was in 1972, achieving 2nd place to an overseas competitor. John got to hold the belt for 12 months as the highest scoring Kiwi.
John played a significant role in the mid 1980s redevelopment of the Seddon Range with the deconstruction of the old NRA HQ building and construction of the Seddon Gallery Target shed using the same old materials. John was also set the task of manufacturing concrete counter balance weights for each target carrier. Using the same boxing material and hand mixing concrete, two counterweights could be manufactured each night after work.
John worked many years as a member of the Seddon Range Wednesday Crew. With the onset of electronic targets John played a significant role in rebuilding the WRAs fleet of target frames.
John spent many years on the NRA standing committee, was elected Life Member to Petone Rifle Club, the Wellington Rifle Assn and Life Member to the NRANZ.
John will be sadly missed by his target shooting fraternity.
"John's last shoot in the sling at Trentham in September 2019"
