27 September 2017 | Tennis ACT

Tennis ACT was saddened to hear of the passing of Tennis ACT Life member Ken Willis.  Willis was an extraordinary administrator of tennis in the ACT and in 2016 his contribution was recognised when he was one of three inaugural inductees into the Tennis ACT Walk of Fame.

A celebration of Ken’s life will be held on Friday 6 October from 2.30pm – 4.30pm at Next Gen Canberra, 1 Riggall Pl, Lyneham.

About Ken Willis 

Ken Willis was born in 1922 in Yass to parents John Arthur and Nina May. At 15 he moved to Canberra to start working in the public service, and in 1941 he enlisted in the air force for WWII as a crew member in Bomber Command 460 Squadron, surviving 31 missions over Europe.

In 1945, when on leave from the air force, Ken returned to Yass.  One of his sister’s friends, Joan Shumack, invited him to a social tennis afternoon at a nearby property.  Joan was a tennis player and Ken a footballer and cricketer who had never picked up a racquet.  That afternoon would change his life forever, uncovering a passion for tennis and, as a consequence, Ken found himself a great life partner in Joan.

In 1946, Ken and Joan were married and moved to Canberra. In 1950, Turner Tennis Club was established and it became the social hub of the community. Ken was a founding member, Vice-president, President and pennant player for the Club.

In 1954, Ken left the public service and opened his own sports and toys business.

That year, he also became the Secretary of the ACT Lawn Tennis Association, under the Presidency of Charles Boag.  He held the position until 1963, when he then took over as President up until 1977.  Under his Presidency, registered tennis players more than doubled.  With the growth of the city, Ken could foresee the expansion of tennis in Canberra.  He was instrumental in moving the tennis headquarters from Manuka to the development of the National Tennis and Squash Club which opened in 1970 in Lyneham.

Ken was also a driving force in the establishment of Tennis Seniors locally and nationally, with the first Australian Senior Championships in Australia held in Canberra in 1972.

In 1977, his outstanding contribution to the ACT Lawn Tennis Association was recognised as an Honorary Life Member.  The following year, Ken received an Order of Australia Medal for his services to tennis.  In 1979, he became the Chairman of the Board of the National Tennis and Squash Centre.

In 1983, he was named Australian Tennis Veteran of the Year.  The club lounge at the National Tennis and Squash Club was named in Ken’s honour in 1990, and from 1992-98 he was the Patron of the ACT Tennis Association.

Ken was recognised at the 75^th Anniversary of the ACT Tennis Association in 1998, receiving the award for the most outstanding contribution to the Association. In 2000, he received the ACT Sports Medal for services to tennis. When receiving these awards, Ken always said it was not only his contribution but a team effort and the team members were as equally deserving of the award.

The work by Ken and his team members was always voluntary.  They enjoyed tremendous satisfaction from working hard and contributing to a sport they all loved, resulting in life-long friendships that still stand today.

Ken was a regular club player in Canberra for some 50 years and was noted for his enthusiasm and commitment.  It is claimed he had “a serve that was so slow he could get to the net before the ball.”

Ken and Joan were married for 70 years.  They had two children, Peter and Susan, along with three grandchildren, Yoshi, Stephanie and Elizabeth.

Ken played tennis until his 90th birthday.  Ken passed away in September 2017.