Vale Veteran Gary Michael Cowley MMM - SAMVOA Queensland and New Zealand
SADF 78421757 - Captain Personnel Services Corps
1962 to 2022
Captain Gary Cowley MMM was born on the 30th of September 1962 and passed away on the 7th of April 2022 as a result of an unfortunate accident In New Zealand that cut short his life.
He joined SAMVOA on the 25th of December 2012 as a member of SAMVOA Queensland, where he was much respected member. He later moved to New Zealand with his family.
Gary served in Personnel Services, which included serving at Voortrekkerhoogte, 113 Battalion in Phalaborwa and Witwatersrand Rifles in Germiston.
Gary will be sadly missed and we, the Veterans, thank him for his service. Rest in Peace, Gary.
From his Regiment, Kevin Townsend (Lt Col ret)
Gary Cowley was schooled at Jeppe High School for Boys where he learned to play the bagpipes and became an accomplished musician.
During his time at Witwatersrand Rifles he served in the role of an Infantry Officer in which he distinguished himself.
We will remember him.
From the Regional Chairman of SAMVOA Queensland; Veteran Shaun Winson.
Veteran Captain Gary Cowley MMM(Ret).
When one meets Gary for the first time and shake his hand, you were under no illusion of his status as an officer and a gentleman, during that first meeting his passion towards the goals he had set out to achieve for veterans and more importantly to honour those that had paid the supreme sacrifice was on display.
It is common knowledge amongst us veterans that Gary gave freely of his time to visit veteran graves and remove weeds and clean headstones.
Gary also had a passion for building military plastic models and especially those models that represented his time when he was in the SADF. I once meet him at a model expo and notice the many kits he had brought of South African military vehicles, I ask where Michelle was to which he answered do you think I would have this many models if she was with me, we both had a laugh.
Gary was much honoured and respected by his peers and introduced many traditions we still hold close to our hearts at our meetings today.
If I could put into aviation terms Gary’s character, his moral compass never deviated off his true course, and his ethical values stayed horizontal to the horizon.
He will be greatly missed but never forgotten. R.I.P Brother
Salute.
