Marie Fry, a true legend in Eastern Bay hockey circles, celebrated her 90th birthday last Sunday at the Whakatāne Hockey Turf.

With 72 years of service to local hockey, the milestone was one to remember.

Surrounded by family, friends, live hockey matches, and of course, birthday cake, the turf provided the perfect backdrop for the occasion.

Mrs Fry first picked up a stick at age 18 in Edgecumbe, initially thinking hockey was “a bit of a silly game”. But once she found herself in goal, she was hooked.

Her playing career saw her represent the North Island against the South Island – one of many highlights that took her around the country. She recalls with fondness the long bus trips to the King Country, sometimes finishing games under the glow of car headlights when daylight faded.

Over the decades, Mrs Fry has been involved in every aspect of hockey – playing, refereeing, coaching, serving on committees, and supporting the game at all levels. She coached local and Bay of Plenty representative teams and was part of the group that founded the Bay of Plenty Hockey Association.

Her immense contribution has been recognised nationally by Hockey New Zealand, though in true fashion, she declined to attend any formal ceremonies – so officials had to track her down instead.

Mrs Fry has coached and supported countless young people across the Edgecumbe area, guiding generations of families.

Today, she is still on the turf, coaching a year 7 and 8 Edgecumbe Area School side.

Her commitment to the Edgecumbe Rovers women’s team stretches back to the late 1940s.

To this day, she turns up every week to cheer them on. Many of the current players were coached by her as children and now proudly play for her as adults.

Her legacy is also reflected in the Marie Fry Trophy, a national award created for a secondary school girls’ tournament.

It is the second-highest ranked schoolgirls’ hockey tournament in the country. This year, Whakatāne High School achieved an outstanding third-place finish.

Birthday celebrations included the unveiling of the Life Members Board, which Mrs Fry and Darryl Howard first created in 2010.

A special match was also played with past and present players, where Mrs Fry delighted everyone by scoring the only goal of the game.

To cap off the day, her “lucky dugout” was officially named in her honour, painted in her beloved Edgecumbe colours.

As many will say, there are countless people who have contributed to hockey in the Eastern Bay – but very few as legendary as Marie Fry.