RIP Phil Leishman

[allaboveboard 179]

A wonderful man who will be sorely missed. His suffering is now at an end. If there is a god what the hell was he thinking here. Love and best wishes to his immediate family and loved ones.

[Trump 2,741]

Well said Sheriff. Phil was a real gentleman. I had quite a few meetings with him at different times both socially and other. He was a very polite and very professional person. He was also good company. At 61, it is too young to go. He will be missed very much by his family, friends and acquaintances - all who had the pleasure of his company. His funeral will be huge I am sure.

[Ohokaman 5,825]

RIP Phil. Meeting up with your old mate Glyn Tucker in the big racecourse upstairs should be a beaut.

[biff 2,158]

I remember Phil when he was a cadet reporter in Welly way back in the early 70's.......he started off reporting from the NZBC radio car from all the suburban rugby grounds, half time, full time scores etc. You guys obviously have better memories than I, however at 61 it's a tragedy. Another good one gone.

[Peter Jenkins 2,120]

A broadcaster of the highest quality in whatever he turned his hand to, Phil will be long remembered with great fondness. Knowing him personally, I can say without reproach that he was also a true gentleman with great charm and charisma. Condolences to his family and close friends. As biff says, another good one gone.

PJ

[tasman man 11 979]

RIP Phil.....got to know you over the years . A good bloke. Thoughts with family at this sad time.

[Todamax101 533]

Always came across as a very thoughtful and compassionate man. Such a sad way to go and much too soon. Condolences to his family and friends.

[scooby3051 10,863]

A really nice decent guy, he was one of the best presenters for TV One in the good old days, sympathies to his family,RIP Phil.

[rdytdy 5,341]

One of life's good guys. Always had a grin and genuine interest in people did Phil both professionally and socially.

 

Genial is probably an apt description for him.

 

Gone far too soon..

 

RIP Phil. 

[porky 900]

Always hard to see someone in the industry move to the big racecourse in the sky...rest assured he will be in good company.

 

His family can stand proud of his imput here on earth.

[lindsay carston 81]

Met Phil many years ago and he was one of the nicest guys.A great presenter and will be sadly missed.RIP Phil

[Pegs Pride 376]

I was privaledged to know and work on occasions with Phillip. A gentleman of true integrety. Like many I am saddened by his passing. He was a broadcaster of the highest order and a person who was gifted in making us feel good to be New Zealanders.

 

My sincere condolences to his family and friends..

[meomy 971]

Phil Leishman touched the hearts and lives of many.

 

He will be remembered as a wonderful gentleman, with a cheerful disposition & smile who has contributed a considerable amount to us all over the years.

 

The video featuring Phil at the end of this article is well worth watching.

 

RIP

 

 

Broadcaster Phillip Leishman dies at 61

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10867793

 

8:55 AM Tuesday Feb 26, 2013

Phillip Leishman with his wife Michelle in January, 2013. Photo / Facebook

 

Veteran sports broadcaster Phillip Leishman has died.

The 61-year-old, who had surgery on a brain tumour last year, became sick again last week and slipped into a coma on Sunday night.

His family and friends were by his side as he died overnight.

His brother Mark Leishman earlier said the problems were first noticed in February last year.

A tumour was removed in March and family had hoped for a recovery.

"Phil was down at a family reunion in Central Otago and he noticed his driving was a bit strange. He was doing a commentary for the NZ Women's Open. He was thoroughly professional of course, but he was struggling. He couldn't get the words out quite right.

"He went to the ophthalmologist and they discovered something there. That's when it all started."

He said Phillip was "so chuffed" to get a text from Lydia Ko's coach last week with thanks for giving her confidence behind the microphone and in front of cameras.

"He had a big smile on his face when he read that."

 

Phillip Leishman: A life and times

Longtime friend and race caller Des Coppins was Phillip's best man.

"I look at Phillip as my mentor, he gave me my start."

Coppins said he had talked to his old mate a few days ago.

Coppins, who was best man at the Leishmans' wedding, said he had received dozens of messages from people around the country.

"We work [together] and we were and we are close mates. We'll be there forever. He's almost a brother - in fact he's a brother - that's the way I see Phillip."

Fellow sports broadcaster and close friend Keith Quinn said Leishman had a deep sports knowledge.

"He started off in radio and that spread over to television ... and he fronted a lot of programmes," he told radio New Zealand.

"He gained his wide fame, if you like, because of his knowledge of all sports."

In the 90s, Leishman hosted 1250 episodes of TVNZ's Wheel of Fortune, alongside Lana Coc-Kroft and was host when boxer David Tua famously appeared to ask for the letter "O for awesome".

Quinn said the move to the show was a "critical decision".

"He was very proud of it - he made no discrimination between working for a game show, working on a sports show and of course later in his career he became associated, after a long time with horse racing, with golf."

Quinn said Leishman's career was "very wide indeed".

Leishman was a feature of New Zealand broadcasting for more than four decades.

He started his career in radio in 1970 and began working in television a year later when he went to Dunedin as a relieving sports officer, according to NZ On Screen.

He then moved to the nightly network bulletin as sports news presenter, appearing alongside the big names of TV news broadcasting at the time, including Dougal Stevenson, Bill Toft, Angela D'Audney, Jenny Goodwin and Richard Long.

In 1975 Mr Leishman hosted the New Zealand Games and began his long association with horse racing, which included hosting the horse programme Turf Talk until 1979.

In 1976 he covered the Montreal Olympics and established himself as host of the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, a role which continued until the 1998 Olympics in Kuala Lumpur.

In 1997 Leishman formed a new company called Uplink, now known as Sportinc. He was the executive producer, company director and fronted the company's popular Golf Show.

Over the years he also covered yachting, tennis, league and rugby.

Leishman also hosted one-off entertainment specials including the Halberg Awards and the last ever televised Miss Zealand Show.

He hosted the New Zealand Cricket Awards from 2008 to 2010.

Breakfast present, Peter Williams, paid tribute to his friend and colleague on air this morning.

Williams said he got his break in the industry in 1979, filling a sports reporter vacancy left when Leishman went on his OE in 1979. Since then he has worked with him on screen for a number of Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and golf tournaments.

"There was always an element of show business about Phil," Williams said on Breakfast.

"He was a fabulous guy, always friendly. What you got on air is what you get off air, which is a sign of a great guy."

Off screen, Mr Leishman was involved with children's charity Variety since its inception in 1989.

In 2011 he was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to broadcasting and the community.

Fellow broadcasters also paid tribute to Leishman on social media.

"RIP Phillip Leishman. You are a gentleman and an inspiration. Saturday mornings in the 70`s with Glyn Tucker are a treasured memory," rugby commentator Hamish McKay wrote on Twitter.

"Very sad news this morning with the death of Phil Leishman overnight," Breakfast host Rawdon Christie wrote.

He leaves his wife Michelle and three children - Harry, 20, India, 17, and Lily, 15.

Leishman would be honoured in the first round of the NZ PGA Championship in Queenstown, which starts on March 28.

Players and officials at the PGA Tour of Australasia event would wear black ribbons as a mark of respect for the popular broadcaster.

NZ PGA Championship Tournament director Michael Glading said it was heartbreaking to think Leishman would not be seen on New Zealand television again.

"He's been an amazing champion of the game and the way he presents is the way he was - a brilliant person. I can't imagine how golf television in New Zealand will ever be the same."

"Phil's company produced a wonderful one hour show on our 2012 tournament and I'm sure the boys will do something even better this year in memory of Phil."

Many players also expressed their sadness at his passing.

Phil Tataurangi was among those who had fond memories of Leishman.

"I had the good fortune to spend a fair bit of time around Phil within golf and then outside of golf as well, dating back to doing Wheel of Fortune way back when!

"When you lose a friend and a colleague in the golf business it brings a lot of things back to reality and priorities realign themselves. A little slice of you kind of goes away as well when a good friend passes away."

Watch an interview of Phillip Leishman talking about his career, courtesy of New Zealand on Screen:

 

 

 

 

- APNZ with Newstalk ZB

[porky 900]

A wonderful article and video to watch meomy...Thanks

[chiknsmack 482]

The Off the Track interview of Phillip Leishman with Steve Davis will re-air tonight at 9:30pm.

[meomy 971]

Phil's funeral/ rememberance service is at St Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland at 1.30pm Friday 1st March 2013, according to the papers today.

 

 

Please click on the link to either light a candle or refresh the flowers.

 

 

In Memory of

 

Phillip John Leishman

 

http://www.amemorytree.co.nz/remembrance.php?personid=219256&lightcandle=1

 

This page is open and you can leave messages and memories for free until 20 March 2013

 

 

 

Please click on the link to sign the legacy guest book.

 

Phillip John LEISHMAN

 

This Guest Book will remain online until 30/03/2013

 

http://www.legacy.com/guestbooks/nzherald-nz/guestbook.aspx?n=phillip-leishman&pid=163320679&cid=view

[Memphis2 1,078]

Top bloke. RIP Phil.

[rumpole 483]

A fantastic bloke and a fantastic broadcaster

 

should have been knighted

 

he was better than the late Paul Holmes as a broadcaster

[meomy 971]

It's very sad to know that the Leishman children will never have their dad, Phil, there to celebrate their milestones including 16th, 18th and 21st birthdays .

 

Together with introducing propective partners/spouse to him when they are older and to ask for his approval to marry and to walk them down the aisle when they get married, should they choose to.

 

They are the little things many take for granted in life and no one should ever take for granted.