Fulfilling life of family, sport, community: Lloyd William Angel

Lloyd William Angel was a man of many talents with a real zest for life and he embraced every opportunity with enthusiasm and vigour, sharing his gifts with many in the Gunnedah community and beyond.

His death on March 4, 2025 at the age of 78, closed the door on a busy and fulfilling life filled with work, sport, fun and laughter, community and family love.

Many people would remember Lloyd and his wife Darelle as being very involved in many different community groups and organisations. Their first child Matthew was born soon after their arrival in 1978, when Lloyd was transferred to the Soil Conservation Service from Mudgee. The arrival of their daughter Meredith in 1984 completed their family.

Born on November 12, 1946, in the Sydney suburb of Ryde, Lloyd was the second child of William and Edith Angel. He grew up at Epping with his sister Jan and went to primary and high school there. As a child in the fifties, life was centred around sport and family, and riding bikes everywhere, even in Sydney. His father was a keen tennis player and golfer, and instilled a love for these games in his son. He played tennis for his high school team, cricket or tennis in Epping on the weekends, junior cricket for Beecroft Cricket Club, opening batting and bowling – and held a record for more than 30 years of 75 not out. Lloyd started wearing glasses when he was nine and by early high school, needed to wear them to bat, so he had to give cricket away. Lloyd’s love for all sports, including marbles, was cemented from a young age.

After high school, he worked and studied surveying. In his third year, he tried to join the army but failed the eyesight test so he decided to go to Hawkesbury Agricultural College the following year. But the government had other ideas and Lloyd was called up for National Service but again failed the eyesight test. So, from 1967 to 1969 Lloyd went to Hawkesbury Ag College, for a completely different lifestyle, making lifelong friends and achieving his diploma. He played inter collegiate tennis in Queensland and Victoria and honed his golfing skills at nearby Richmond Golf Course.

Lloyd met Darelle at a Christmas party in Beecroft in 1965 and at the finish of Ag College in December 1969 they married at Ryde, in time for Lloyd’s first posting as a soil conservationist in Orange. After two years of learning the role, he was given his own team and area in Mudgee. This was the beginning of a growth time for Mudgee which then had two vineyards but today has in excess of 60. Aside from work and building a house and taking on further study through Macquarie University, Lloyd took up squash and filled an opening on the squash committee as the publicity officer.

After moving to Gunnedah Lloyd spent the next nine years, working in the Mullaley district and getting to know many farmers with his work in the Soil Conservation Service.

He joined the squash club and again took on the publicity role, becoming a regular contributor to Les Charters Saturday Sports Show on 2MO. He became president and was instrumental in integrating the men’s and women’s competitions where everyone played according to their ability – it was innovative and increased the game’s popularity. Lloyd received an Australia Day Medal for his services to the sport in 1983.

Lloyd could also see the value of the print media as well as the radio to create community awareness. He wrote articles on soil loss for the Soil Conservation Service and involved children with photographic and colouring competitions at AgQuip time.

The purchase of a 14ft sailing boat and learning to sail at Lake Keepit opened a whole new world for the keen sportsman, who also took early morning running training to stay fit, and competed in fun runs at Coonabarabran, Mudgee and Tamworth as well as the Gunnedah Gallop.

In 1984 Lloyd decided that he needed to learn to not only talk into a microphone but also in front of people, so he joined a new Toastmasters group. The club was chartered later that year, and he remained a member for more than 30 years. He was enormously proud of the Toastmasters youth leadership courses they ran, watching how the participants grew in self-confidence. He also participated on a personal level, reaching the state finals in different categories as well as sharpening his wits with impromptu speeches. Taking part in evaluation contests led him to adjudicate speech contests in schools and other service clubs over many years.

Lloyd with Anne Tapper from the play ‘Score’ in June 1987.

Lloyd’s first taste of acting came in a school melodrama and he loved it. A year later, the Musical & Dramatic Society called for auditions for Jesus Christ Superstar and his efforts won him the part of a priest. In 1987 he sang the major role of Counsel for the Plaintiff in G&S Trial by Jury. He had always played ukulele and guitar but couldn’t read music so his tutors Judith Walpole and Marie Spinks from the high school, would put his part on tape for him to learn. Later that year, he was a natural in the role of a tennis player in a play called Score – another M&D production. Another big entertainment production of the Ranken Rouge Music Hall in 1988 was a huge success with members of the M&D society filling the stage.

When Judith Walpole started the Wirribilla choir, Lloyd was quick to sign up and they sang at countless concerts and eisteddfods for many years, even recording a CD.

In 1986 the Angel family went to their first Carols by Candlelight at Wolseley Park, organised by 2MO. As Lloyd knew Bob Kirschner from the radio station, he offered to help and then fronted and organised the popular event for the next 17 years and it was a great success.

In 1987, Lloyd left the Soil Conservation Service to go into private enterprise as a life insurance agent, doubling as a casual announcer on 2MO, casual TAFE teacher and teaching public speaking at six district primary schools. He coached junior cricket for his son Matthew’s team and played golf when time allowed, winning the mixed fourball championships with his wife Darelle in 1989.

In 1997, Lloyd’s career took a new turn, with his appointment as electorate media and research officer to local federal member, John Anderson, who was also the deputy prime minister at the time. He travelled around the far-flung Gwydir electorate, listening to and advocating for constituents, liaising with the area media and preparing press releases. Although it was interesting and incredibly hectic, Lloyd’s one regret about leaving his previous portfolio, was that he could no longer work with the primary school children on public speaking. He firmly believed ‘that the ability to assemble your thoughts and speak to people is essential, because the world is so competitive these days’

Another career turn in 2000, saw him go ‘from politics to garbage’. He became, in his own words ‘chief dumpster’ aka the waste management superintendent at Gunnedah for the next 12 years. He loved being on the window to greet customers with a joke or a quip and in this role again, he saw the need to increase community awareness, creating a radio segment called ‘Talking Rubbish’. He was still able to talk to high school students as visits to the tip were part of their studies.

A newspaper cutting featuring Lloyd and his daughter Meredith

Lloyd thought the Gunnedah Eisteddfod was a valuable platform to help everyone shine and he served as president for several years. He competed in the adult speech and singing sections for more than 20 years to keep his hand in and boost numbers. He returned to tennis after many years absence, and although his knees precluded him from running, he still had the best skills with a racquet, and made his partner do the leg work. He also loved to have a punt and in 2006, after entering a TAB competition across NSW and Victoria, all his winners came in when his name was drawn out and he was able to attend a State of Origin at Suncorp, NRL grand final in Sydney, Australian Open tennis in Melbourne, Australian Open golf at Royal Sydney and the Melbourne Cup. It was the perfect prize for the keen fan of all sports.

During Lloyd’s 42 years in Gunnedah, there were never ending requests for his time and everything asked of him was done with a smile. He couldn’t say no. From compering fashion parades, to standing as a store dummy in the Co-Op window, to doing mock job interviews with TAFE students, guest speaking at many clubs, to adjudicating school debates and speech contests. He kept a book full of thank you letters from the dozens of organisations. He also managed to call the Saturday events for the Gunnedah Show Society for years, compered the Australia Day Awards ceremony, and sing the Recessional Hymn at dawn Anzac services many times. In retirement, Lloyd had no plans to leave Gunnedah, as he had not only made it his home but had connected with the whole community. Health issues ultimately forced him to move to Ballina with Darelle, where he could finally slow down. Described as ‘a wonderful husband and father, and the most gentle and witty and honourable person you could imagine’ Lloyd’s death revived memories from his friends with a common theme – ‘kind, loved everyone’s company, witty, amazing sense of humour, ability to motivate in his speeches, absolute legend, a great bloke’ – and much more.

The funeral for Lloyd was held at Guardian Funerals in Ballina on March 13, 2025. He is survived by his wife Darelle, son Mathew daughter-in-law Sharnie, daughter Meredith and son-in-law Thomas, grandchildren Matisse and Henry, and his sister Janice.