{{short description|Irish road racing cyclist and sports administrator}} {{Use Irish English|date=February 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}
'''William Marks''' (born 1919 or 1920 in Dublin, Ireland) was an Irish road racing cyclist, and later cycling administrator, and one of the longest-participating club members in Irish cycling, joining the Dublin Wheelers cycling club in 1936, and last serving as a timekeeper 78 years later, in 2014, at the age of 95.<ref name="DWCC races 2016">{{cite web |title=Dublin Wheelers Open Races – Extended News |url=http://www.dublinwheelers.com/print.php?type=N&item_id=189 |website=Dublin Wheelers Cycling Club |accessdate=11 November 2018}}</ref> He was one of the early leaders of the Dublin Wheelers tour cycling section.<ref name="CyclingView DWCC75">{{cite web |title=Dublin Wheelers 75th Anniversary Celebrations |url=https://cyclingview.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/dublin-wheelers-75th-anniversary-celebrations/ |website=CyclingView |accessdate=11 November 2018}}</ref>
In the late 1950s Marks was elected as vice-president of Ireland's internationally recognised cycling federation, the CRÉ, having previously served a couple of years as an executive committee member.<ref>Dublin, Ireland: The Irish Times, Monday 26 November 1956, pg. 3, elections for 1957 National Executive Committee</ref> He continued with club roles too, including Dublin Wheelers vice-president.<ref>Dublin, The Evening Herald, 11 November 1967</ref> The Dublin Wheelers were very active in national cycling governance in the 1960s and 1970s, with, in 1971–1972 for example, members as general secretary, treasurer, and as road racing and time trial secretaries, as well as organiser of the Tour of Ireland and committee member.<ref name="ICF Dub Wheelers 1971">{{cite news |last1=McArdle |first1=Jim |title=Big I.C.F. changes with Dublin Wheelers to fore |work=The Irish Times |date=20 November 1971 |page=3}}</ref><ref name="Dub Wheelers CC History">{{cite web |title=Dublin Wheelers Cycling Club (1933–), A Brief History |url=http://www.dublinwheelers.com/viewpage.php?page_id=86 |website=Dublin Wheelers Cycling Club |accessdate=17 March 2019}}</ref>
In the mid-1970s, Marks oversaw one of the two major forms of cycle racing in Ireland, as Track Racing Secretary of the national federation.<ref name="1975_ICF">{{cite news |last1=McArdle |first1=Jim |title=McCarthy new president in straight contest |work=The Irish Times |date=3 November 1975}}</ref>
Marks, who had a sister and brother, lived in Cabra in Dublin. He died 18 August 2015 at St Mary's Hospital in the Phoenix Park, with his funeral in Cabra attended by his siblings, nieces and nephews, and many figures from Irish cycling; he was buried in Drumcondra Cemetery.<ref name="Notice">{{cite web |title=Family notices – William Marks |url=https://rip.ie/death-notice/william-marks-cabra-west-dublin/264086 |website=RIP.ie |accessdate=30 November 2018}}</ref> One of the Dublin Wheelers annual open races is run in his memory.<ref name="DWCC races 2016"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marks, Willie}} Category:Irish male cyclists Category:Dublin Wheelers cyclists Category:Irish cycling administrators