Discussion: A very sad day....

Some very bad news from the EMPO A meet today at Thatcher State Park near Albany -- Gari Williams of the Western Connecticut OC died of an apparent heart attack partway through his course. Orienteers with CPR training were at the scene almost immediately, but it was to no avail.

Gari has been a stalwart of WCOC, not just competing, but also mapping and putting on meets with a joy that was infectious. He loved orienteering. He was as good a person and a friend as one could be.

He and his wife Tina and daughter Sarah had moved to Connecticut from England a couple of years ago, and Gari thought the orienteering here was the best he had ever seen.

We will miss him terribly.

Peter

A couple of points to note...

From what I could see, I was impressed with the response of the orienteers on site. A number of people immediately stopped and provided what aid they could, including the administering of CPR until the paramedics arrived, and professional help was summoned as quickly as possible. If there was any hope, I think everything that could have been done, was done.

It's a desparate tragedy for something like this to happen -- Gari was just 45 years old. But if it's a tiny solace, remember that he didn't spend his waning time here suffering in a hospital bed. He was running through the forest with a map in his hand, having what I believe was a good race up to that point.

Gari was a person I liked and admired immensely. I was always engaged and uplifted by his cheerfulness, optimism, enthusiasm and kindness. I am so terribly affected by this event, but grateful I got to know him.

Thank you Peter and JJ. We will miss Gari very much. He was a wonderful person, a delightful orienteer and truly loved running in the woods here. I must add up the hours we have spent exploring the "luvly" CT woodlands over the last few years. He was doing what he loved most - orienteering and running in the woods.

Special thanks go to the orienteers who stopped to assist Gari, to the EMTs and police (EMPO please pass along Tina's thanks), to EMPO and CNYO for their help, and to all for their support.

We are with Tina and Sarah trying to understand where we are and what goes next. We will let you all know of further arrangements as they evolve.

George

I met the Williams family this summer in Laramie at the 1000 Day. I initially took note because Tina was in my class. But what really struck me was how much Gari, Tina, and Sarah enjoyed being together as a family.

Ah, but for the grace of God....

In Spring, 2003, (age 53) I was feeling more listless and tired, but still doing hard 2-hour work-outs at Y. Stress, caffeine, lack of sleep, lack of exercise, 50+ seemed likely culprits. I had chest tightness (no pain) and shortness of breath only once - on a muggy summer STL day jog. On my first annual check-up with Dr Prager, he didn't like the looks of my EKG. One week later it was one stent and one balloon angioplasty to unblock two arteries. I was lucky - the first symptom was not death.

One year later (Lipitor, lo-fat lo-chloresterol diet, exercise, lost 15 lbs - LDL down from 170 to 62), I am running well and orienteering better than ever! Next year, I move up to M55!

I am very sad to hear what happened to Gari.

We talked with each other right before the race. He was happy and upbeat. He bantered about a tricky control, and it took me a moment to realize, that he was joking. We both laughed, sharing the moment, anticipating a good run in the woods.

It is hard to accept how things turned out.

I am glad, that so many people helped him and were there with him.

George, please let Tina and Sarah know, that we are thinking of them and wish them all the strength and faith needed in this difficult time.

Daniel

In a sport dominated by men, it has been a struggle to keep my family involved at times. The Williams family have been a wonderful addition to our orienteering community, providing a cheerful companion to my daughter thoughout the summer and fall. I hope that Tina and Sarah can somehow find some peace in the knowledge that we are so grateful for Gari's involvement in our sport and all that they as a family have added to our lives.

Thanks to everyone for their kind words and support for Gari and his family. Gari was a wonderful individual, full of enthusiasm, full of life, full of joy. Peter put it exactly right when he said Gari had a "joy that was infectious." He brought that joy to our club and to everyone he met. I will miss him.

Gari's family and friends will hold a memorial service for Gari this Saturday, November 6. Everyone is welcome. The memorial will be at 2:00 at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Middletown, CT. If you would like further information or directions, please contact me at wrdewitt@snet.net.

Rick

Rick, thanks for the information.

I got to know Gari by going to WCOC meets and by working with him on putting on some events for that club. He was always the most cheerful, enthusiastic and pleasant person to be around. I remember a rather gloomy day at a local meet in the rain, when I had no desire to go out into the wet woods until running into Gari, who was soaked, muddy, and had a huge contagious smile on his face. It made my day. Much like the rest of the orienteering community, I will miss him greatly.

- Boris

Thanks all for the kind thoughts for Gari. His family has suggested those that would like to remember Gari might make a donation to the USOF mapping fund as a fitting tribute. As many of you might know, mapping was his passion and he could map on the run brilliantly. He would be very pleased to see encouragement of mapping accomplished in his name. Send donations to Robin with a note that it's in memory of Gari and for mapping or any of the other needy USOF funds.

George

Gari was a member of our club, East Pennine OC(EPOC) here in the UK before moving to the US
For many years he was our mapping officer and we saw him only 3 weeks ago when he ran at Wharncliffe, Sheffield. I spoke to him after the race and he was full of enthusiasm for the World Vets Championships in Edmonton next year. It is ironic that he died on the weekend of the Karrimor 2 day 2 Man Mountain Marathon here in the UK. This was probably Gari's favourite event on the calendar,
and had he been here he would have been competing. Everyone at EPOC will miss his cheery personality and our sympathies go to Tina and Sarah.

I write as Gari's oldest brother (Jeff) from North Wales and on behalf of brother John, sister Sian and all the Williams family including especially Tina and Sarah. We are deeply moved by the uplifting words written about Gari which have appeared on this site. It has been a source of not only great comfort but inspiration to us all at a very difficult time. The support that everyone has given to Tina and Sarah has been something we shall always remember. Apart from being our dear brother, husband and father, Gari was a fine orienteer and gifted mapper. Today we have been looking at the map of his first ever event at Grizedale in the North of England in 1972, which he did with me, my wife and his sister. He raced ahead at high speed shouting with excitement at finding controls. That enthusiasm lasted forever. So when you are in the woods, especially if it's raining, darkness looms and you are - well not actually lost but momentarily dislocated in orientation - then listen to the sound of the wind and the trees and nature all around. And if you listen carefully, you'll hear Gari laughing. Because that's what he did.

It was very uplifting to meet with Tina and Sarah, Gari's brother John, and his many other friends from different areas in his life at his memorial service yesterday. It was wonderful to hear those other stories about him from parts of his life not familiar to me, but sounding so much like the Gari I knew, as well.

Lyn and I went to Paugussett today to flag sites for next weekend's meet. Last weekend, we had arranged to go out with Gari to do this, as he had a few things he wanted to "check" plus flag as we would be hanging controls while he was travelling. All went well for most of the sites he had sketched out until the last few in the farthest reach of the map, the part he remapped last year. The logging program had been extended directly into the path of the first two of these controls, making routes unpassable and the sites obliterated by the slash left behind. We tried to scope out the extent of the slash and seem to have a working set of courses. But as we listened carefully, we could hear him call out - come on, George, there's a great crag over here for a "kite" and off he was bounding through the slash to update his map and find new sites.

Our thoughts will be with you all next Saturday - we can hear the wind howling now.

Regards,

Lyn and George

Unfortunately, because they were allowed here due to Gari's work visa, Tina and Sarah's visa status has been disallowed. If they had left the country, they would be denied reentry. They are now here settling affairs as they will have to leave and return to UK before some as yet undefined period. They will probably head back before Christmas so Sarah can start school in January over there.

Anyone have influence at INS?