Remembering those we lost…

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/01/2019 (2518 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This week’s column continues with recognition of Manitoba sports people who died in 2018. Part one ran on Jan. 2, 2019, and can be read online at canstarnews.com.

Several Manitoba junior players went on to play pro hockey. The list includes Cec Hoekstra, Max Labovitch and Jack Borotsik from Brandon, who had brief stints in the NHL, as well as Adam Calder, Walter Melnyk, Doug Orvis, Bill Ostwald and Bernie Strongman.

Hoekstra, late Sports Hall of Fame member Ab McDonald and Ken Busby all played for the St. Boniface Canadiens team that lost in the 1953 Canadian junior final. Busby was inducted into the Manitoba Baseball HOF in 2000 with the senior St. Boniface Native Sons. Bruce Bell played for the 1951 Western Canada junior champion Winnipeg Monarchs and then played pro in England. Dan Maloney coached the Winnipeg Jets in the late 1980s. A 2005 Hockey HOF inductee as an official, Joe Vinet also worked as a golf pro at Clear Lake.

Wayne Deschouwer was the president of the MMJHL Charleswood Hawks and the Tiger Hills and Southeast hockey leagues. The Hawks will raise a banner in his honour at the Eric Coy Arena on Jan. 27. He was inducted into the Manitoba Softball HOF in 2010. Clark Hicks was a Manitoba Lacrosse Hall of Fame goalie, a Canada Summer Games softball coach and managed a provincial midget hockey championship team. Dr. Bill Lindsay, who played both basketball and hockey for the U of M Bisons, was inducted into the University’s hockey shrine in 2017. More than 60 other members of the hockey community are listed in The Final Face-Off column compiled by this columnist that can be read on the website mbhockeyhalloffame.ca

The Blue Bombers lost two head coaches in Urban Bowman and Darryl Rogers, as well as players Grant McPherson and Ron Everett, along with former board members Don McKenzie and Charlie Riess. A 2010 Manitoba Football HOF inductee, Bob Rye coached the Fort Garry Lions to several championships. Barry Safiniuk won the Harry Hood Memorial Trophy as the top high school football player in 1974.

The resume of Glenboro’s Stan Oleson, who died on Dec. 23, included induction into both the Manitoba and Canadian curling shrines. He also was a founding member of the provincial Baseball HOF and was inducted as a builder in 2000. Steve Banera went into the Baseball HOF with the Chatfield Braves, John Chobotar with the Vita Cubs and Don Slater with the Rosedales. Glenn Bott pitched for the Winnipeg Goldeyes in 2006 and 2007. A baseball player and umpire in his younger days, Bill Burdeyny was past the age of 90 when he pitched slo-pitch in Florida for a mixed team that included two former major league ballplayers.

Bill Boyer (Pine Falls Canadians), Flo Dugard (Tigerettes), Margaret (McIntosh) Duncan (Morden Whiz-Bangs) and Merle (Gadsby) Menard (Ramblers) all played for teams inducted into the Softball HOF. Phil Vinet, a former mayor of Red Lake, Ont., pitched several seasons for the Winnipeg Colonels of the Western Major Fastball League. Barry Hallick twice won cars in the Charleswood Little Car bonspiel and curled for Manitoba in the 1989 Canadian senior men’s championship. Bob and Bill Dott once lost in a car spiel final.

Audrey Jones was inducted into the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association HOF in 2012 after a lengthy career in physical education at Tech Voc High School. Brent Bottomley chaired the Manitoba Ski Association for 17 years and coached biathlon and cross-country at the international level. Roger Peet chaired taekwondo organizing committees for the 1999 Pan-Am Games and 2002 North American Indigenous Games. Brian Hayes was a handball coach and referee, who served in executive positions nationally and internationally. Judge Vern Simonsen ruled as president of Tennis Manitoba. Mike Babinsky operated the world’s largest sponge hockey league at the Old Ex grounds for 25 years. The officials we remember include Dyanand Maharaj, cricket; Danny McClure, lacrosse and hockey; Jim Conacher, softball; and Gwen McKenzie, track and field.

Also lost in 2018 were Harry Abbott, Bob Nieman, all-around; Anthony Block, Gerry Kendall, baseball; Peter Falk, Jeffrey Freiheit, David Price, basketball; Errol Klinck, Shirley Oliver, curling; Eric Murphy, darts; Catherine McCullagh, equestrian; Dan Orlikow, fencing; Burton Kennedy, Jan Virtue, figure skating; Bill Bingham, George Budnik, Jim Duncan, football; Stewart Cheyne, Craig Kindrat, William Naven, Craig Wood, Craig Yahiro, golf; Tom Krowetz, lacrosse; Jeff Murchison, ringette; Dario Palleva, roller skating; Don Yager, shooting; Bob Wazny, shuffleboard; Don Gurney, skiing; Fast Freddy Dumas, snooker; Kerri-Lynn (Thompson) Larimer, Barrie Plews, Shom Roitenberg, Dave Ste. Onge, softball; Nancelyn (Wirth) Ross, swimming; Roy Bolin, Terry Fox Run; Robbie Gannon, Manitoba Marathon.

Al Hooper wrote sports in Winnipeg, B.C. and Washington state and former Winnipeg junior hockey player Dick Chapman did the same in the East. During his years with Labatt Brewery, Al Corby provided support to many leagues and teams including this columnist’s Labatt Touring All-Stars provincial slo-pitch champions.

Memories of Sport appears every second week in the Canstar Community News weeklies. Kent Morgan can be contacted at 204-489-6641 or email: sportsmemories@canstarnews.com