Rugby tragic, raconteur and digital systems salesman par excellence Terry Flynn died yesterday aged 71, following a protracted illness.

For the last 17 years, he had worked with Melbourne-based Advanced Publishing Systems, latterly as sales director, having joined after six years with Systems Integrators International (SII).

He entered the newspaper industry when his father got him an apprenticeship as a linotype operator at the Dominion Post in Wellington, New Zealand - near his home town of Johnsonville - and that and an enthusiasm for sport took him all over the world, notably to South Africa and France, before moving to Australia in 1975.

He lived at Davistown on the NSW Central Coast with wife of 28 years Margo, their property overlooking Brisbane Water.

"He boxed, rode and played rugby, maintaining that interest right up to now, latterly a board member of Central Coast Rugby," she told GXpress.

He also leaves one son by his previous marriage.

Colleagues remember a tenacious salesman - "he would sit and wait until the person he wanted to meet came by, or engineer a 'casual' meeting," said APS director Matt White - a very generous friend and an all-round good bloke.

Michael Coghlan recalls meeting when Terry was working for Addressograph, when AM sold small offset machines, and encouraging him to move across to the neighbouring Linotype (Delairco) agency.

Matt White describes him as "a raconteur of many and varied stories".

"He seemed to be travelling all the time, and was happiest when he was on a road trip - he always knew where to go, wherever we were."

David Page, with whom he worked at SII, describes Terry as a "more traditional" sales representative. "It didn't matter that he didn't always understand the technical complexities of a system - he would make up for it using his knowledge of rugby, and wherever he was at a trade show, he would always be able to find a game nearby. An in-built sense of direction he used to call 'dolphin radar' would make up for the lack of Google Maps."

A keen supporter of the PCYC in New South Wales, he organised global youth exchanges within the rugby world.

With APS all over Asia and the world, he was closely involved with agencies such as Swedish system Roxen and others.
Not that the newspaper industry confined him: He took time out to take on the Hogs Breath Cafe in Terrigal (NSW), and had previously been a partner in a carpet business.

"Terry's other passion was racehorses - mainly trotter racing," says Michael Coghlan. "He had owned a few, and brought them over from NZ to race in Sydney with some success."

He describes him and someone who "always asked you how you were first" and was planning an 'online lunch' after COVID-19 blocked a regular six-weekly lunch date with friends.

By the same token, there will be no funeral because of COVID-19 restrictions: "He had so many friends, and I couldn't begin to decide which ten of them would be allowed to attend," said Margo.

Peter Coleman

• If you would like to add recollections please comment below (you need to have registered on the GXpress.net website) or email me at mpcmedia@ozemail.com.au and I will pass them to his widow.

Pictured: Terry Flynn in 2009