ACHPER lost a true friend when Dr Frank Pyke tragically passed away after a short illness on 22 November 2011 in his home town of Perth.
Frank provided outstanding and distinguished service to ACHPER at national and branch levels for the duration of his 36 years of membership. His loyalty and contribution to ACHPER has been appreciated by the whole ACHPER community.
He was National President 1981/2, WA Branch President 1977/80 and Director of the ACHPER National/International Conference in Melbourne in 1996. Frank was awarded Life Membership in 2002 following a longstanding period as an adviser to ACHPER through his work in movement science and sport development. He was also well known as a great innovator in his role as Head of VicSport and developed strong links to government on ACHPER's behalf.
When National President in 1982, Frank launched the Daily Physical Education Program for Australian primary schools during the Commonwealth Games Conference in Brisbane. Frank was committed to elite sport development but strongly advocated for the role of physical education and sport in schools as a critical pathway to community sport participation.
Frank was genuinely interested in people no matter what their background or ‘status’ and was highly regarded for the way he communicated and developed immediate rapport. He held strong convictions always based on intelligent argument and committed himself to fostering change for the better in his profession. He never forced his beliefs on others but rather used his considerable persuasive skills while at the same time listening to other's arguments. These were just some of the qualities that made Frank such a strong but unassuming leader in his many fields of involvement.
Frank's wide impact has been acknowledged in obituaries in major newspapers in Western Australia, Victoria and Canberra. He lived a full and active life through sport, reaching the elite level in Australian football in Western Australia and playing Grade Cricket in Perth. He was a living advocate for physical education and sport.
Frank was a proud and loving family man who acknowledged similar values in others. The National Board is deeply appreciative of Frank's contribution and recognizes the role that his wife Janet and the rest of his family have played in his relatively short but rich and fulfilling life.
Jeffrey Emmel
ACHPER National Executive Director
Graham Dodd
ACHPER Life Member and National Board Vice President