Mark Justin WILKENS

1959 - 2015  (55 years)

• Name	Mark Justin WILKENS
  Birth	20 Oct 1959	Nelson, Nelson, New Zealand   [1, 2]
  Gender	Male
  Death	01 Aug 2015	Stoke, Nelson, New Zealand   [2, 3]
  Burial	07 Aug 2015	Stoke, Nelson, New Zealand   [2]
  Person ID	I5656	NZ Genealogy Project | KORTE Descendant
  Last Modified	13 Dec 2019

  
  

  Father	Canon William Fredric WILKENS [Bill],   b. 15 Sep 1921, Wakefield, Nelson, New Zealand d. 13 Jun 2018, Atawhai, Nelson, New Zealand (Age 96 years)
  Mother	Valerie Bruce GRAVIT [Val],   b. 07 Apr 1926, Murchison, Nelson, New Zealand d. 12 Feb 2008, Nelson, Nelson, New Zealand (Age 81 years)
  Marriage	13 Sep 1952	Nelson, Nelson, New Zealand   [1, 2]
  Family ID	F1948	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Living
  Children	1. Living
  Family ID	F1951	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	31 Dec 2024

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 20 Oct 1959 - Nelson, Nelson, New Zealand Death - 01 Aug 2015 - Stoke, Nelson, New Zealand Burial - 07 Aug 2015 - Stoke, Nelson, New Zealand  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Photos

  Mark Justin WILKENS

  
  

• Notes

  OBITUARY Nelson hockey stalwart Mark Wilkens leaves behind an impressive legacy Nelson hockey stalwart Mark Wilkens had the enviable quality of being able to celebrate both success and failure in equal measure. Well almost - and he wasn't a half bad player either. The sudden recent death of Mark "Wilkie" Wilkens, aged just 55, has sent shock waves through the Nelson hockey community although in passing, he's also left behind a considerable legacy of success at both club and representative level. A diehard Federal club man, Wilkie's involvement extended well beyond the playing arena to coaching, umpiring and administration. But it was in Federal's familiar red strip that many of his most memorable achievements occurred. Most notable perhaps were the 28 club championship titles he collected over a long and celebrated career, which also included 278 games for the Nelson senior men's representative team. Wilken's representative involvement coincided with a golden period for Nelson when they were regularly ranked among the country's top six men's provincial sides. More recently, Wilkens became a core member of Nelson Masters teams. In total, he finished with seven national titles in various age groups and won selection in New Zealand men's 45, 50 and 55 teams to compete at both the Masters World Cup and trans-Tasman test series against Australia. At this year's trans-Tasman series in Melbourne, he was captain of the men's 55 team. Wilkens' initial coaching Involvement was with the Federal men's and women's premier club sides before also taking charge of the Nelson senior representative men's team. More recently he'd been involved in coaching junior club sides. Not surprisingly, Wilkens was on the Federal club committee and Nelson Men's Hockey Associaition committee prior to its amalgamation with the women's association in the late 1980s, when he was also made a life member of the Federal club. Outside of hockey, Wilkens' interest extended to a life-long love of music - he actually played bass with some of hockey mates in a garage band known simply as `The Federal Band'. He was an avid horse racing fan and also played competitive lower grade cricket. Wilken's long-time friend, team-mate and Nelson's regional hockey development manager Craig Brett said that the entire Nelson hockey community has been affected by Wilkens' death. "I have so many fond memories, as I'm sure everyone else does, his passing has had a huge impact on the hockey fraternity, not only Federal but all the clubs and colleges," Brett said. "The support and thoughts from so many players and supporters from within the Nelson hockey community has been overwhelming. The texts, emails and phone calls in the hundreds that have come in from outside Nelson are also testament that it wasn't just our own community that has been shocked by Wilkie's death and that he was loved and respected by so many." Source: Nelson Mail, Aug 13 2015. [4]

  
  

• Sources

  [S139] Hugh Drogemuller, Canada, Descendents of Fred BENSEMANN and Johanna KORTE, (GEDCOM 2004). [S1460] Jenny Wilkens, Ancestry.com - Public Member Tree - Bensemann Family Tree - Jenny Wilkens, (Ancestry.com). [S9] Death Notice. WILKENS, Mark (Wilkie): Branch Manager PBT Nelson and Blenheim. Inimitable leader, great mate... One of kind! Sadly missed, RIP Wilkie. Heartfelt sympathy to Kathy, Eli and family. - Staff and Management The PBT Group. - Published by Nelson Mail on Aug. 5, 2015. [S1461] Nelson Mail, (Nelson, New Zealand).