Maurice Marshall


Maurice "Moss" Lane Marshall was a New Zealand middle-distance athlete.

Early life and family

Marshall was born in Thames on 12 January 1927, the son of Henry Horace Marshall and Constance Marshall. In 1954, he married Elizabeth Mary "Betty" Conradi at All Hallows Chapel, Southwell School, Hamilton, and the couple went on to have three children.

Athletics

Marshall represented New Zealand at the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland, where he won a bronze medal in the 1 mile.
The following year, he won the first of his two New Zealand national athletics titles, winning the 1 mile in a time of 4:17.7. In 1952, he won his second 1-mile championship, in a personal best time of 4:11.8.
Marshall competed for New Zealand at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics in both the 1500 m and the 800 m, but did not progress beyond the heats.

Teaching career

A schoolteacher, Marshall joined the staff of Southwell School in Hamilton in 1953. After a period of teaching in Fiji and at Ngongotahā, he returned to Southwell, and was appointed headmaster in 1972. He retired in 1988, but served as caretaker headmaster for a term in 1994. During his tenure as head, the school roll grew from 160 to 325.

Honours

In the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours, Marshall was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to education and sport. Parallel streets in Hamilton, Marshall Street and Holland Road, were named after Marshall and his Olympic teammate, John Holland.

Death

Marshall died at his home in Hamilton on 16 May 2013, and his funeral was held in All Hallows Chapel at Southwell. He was buried in Hamilton Park Cemetery.