Donald Shanks

Donald “Sharky” Shanks was born in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Joseph and Dora (Williams) Shanks. His father was a police officer originally from Liverpool, England, who settled in Bermuda in 1921 with a group of expat policemen. Growing up in Spanish Point, Bermuda along with his brother Tommy, he attended primary schooling at Saltus Grammar School in Pembroke Parish and then Ridley College in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. During World War II, Shanks joined the Bermuda Volunteer Engineers and served overseas from 1942 to 1946 as a wireless operator in the Bahamas and Brazil with the Royal Air Force, earning the Defence Medal for his service.

In 1948, Shanks was a member of Bermuda’s swimming delegation to the London Olympics and competed in the 100 metres backstroke event, placing third in the fifth heat. He was also a member of the 4 × 200 metres freestyle relay team, alongside Walter Bardgett, Derek Oatway, Robert Cook, Philip Tribley and Frank Gosling. Following the Olympics, he married Phyllis Rayburn, a nurse from Oakville, Ontario and had three daughters and a son. Outside of his career in the shipping and supply industry, he remained active in sporting affairs of Bermuda, assisting at interschool track and field meets.

Shanks was also a noted yachtsman, involved in the organization of weekly summer Bermuda Fitted Dinghy races and a member of the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club (serving as Rear Commodore). He was a regular competitor in yacht races, including the Newport Bermuda Race and on the crew of Asteroid in the 1975 Marion–Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race. In his spare time, he enjoyed golfing, deep sea fishing and outings on his boats. Shanks died in 1978 from cancer at the age of 56.