‘Old No. 11’ immortalized in biography

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/03/2011 (5489 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ALL ABOUT PEOPLE… Today, a collection of vignettes about people of note, both present and recently passed.

Starting with a legendary Winnipeg Blue Bomber player, whose presence and past, hopefully, are about to be the subject of a book. Ken Ploen — the Bomber quarterback from their Grey Cup glory years — was Roy Rosmus’s hero as a kid, which is why he’s decided to celebrate Ploen in his own way — with a biography on old No. 11. He has Ken’s co-operation. In fact, Roy even has the family scrapbook. What he doesn’t have is a corporate partner with deep enough pockets to front the $25,000 printing costs.

Rosmus says he’s not looking for a donation, because he expects the cost of printing will be recovered in sales. Anyway, if you can help, let me know or contact Roy directly through Twitter@heartobluegold. He wants to have the book on the shelves at the Bomber store by the beginning of next season.

TRIBUTES TO TWO PEOPLE IN PASSING… Two of the finest gentleman I’ve been privileged to know died recently. John Campbell, the former Winnipeg police constable, died last month, and Dr. Richard Stillwater, the ear, nose and throat specialist, died last week.

John was a former executive assistance to then-provincial Tory leader Sidney Spivak and later served as the head of the Winnipeg Police Association. He met and married psychiatrist Linda Loewen during the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry and soon they were off to British Columbia. When Linda died last September, days short of their 20th wedding anniversary, John was heartbroken. He would die in a Vancouver Island hospital less than six months later.

The depth of his grief was clear last fall when wrote to me about how they had both been looking forward to appreciating the simpler things in life.

“I will never refer to her as ‘was’ but simply as ‘is’. A truly inspirational spirit and human being.”

As was John William Campbell.

I learned of Richard Stillwater’s death in an email from someone who corresponds with me regularly. Michael Gobuty, the former Winnipeg Jets partner, was writing from Palm Springs, Calif. In his note, Michael called Richard “one of the finest individuals I have ever known.”

I only met Richard a couple of times but, even then, you could tell his true specialty as a person was the way he was with people.

“He would do all he could to make his patients comfortable,” Michael wrote, “and he never, ever, pushed them for payment if they were unable. The world has lost a magnificent individual.”

Michael signed off this way.

“Take care, enjoy every minute.”

LOOKING FOR SOME PEOPLE… Jack Tinsley, another former cop and the son of legendary Bomber lineman Buddy Tinsley, is searching for a couple of guys, but this time they’re not suspects. The members of the St. James Rams, who won the national senior football championship in 1963, are being inducted as a team into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame on April 28, and Jack and his helpers have been able to account for every one on that team but three. They’re still looking to invite Ron Westlake, Dennis Gregory and Joe Martin. If you can help, let me know and I’ll pass it on.

AND NOW A PERSON WHO REALLY HELPS PEOPLE… A distressed mother contacted me recently.

She referenced a column from last fall about then-city council candidate Ian Rabb, who overcame his substance-abuse addiction and turned his attention to helping others overcome theirs. (He helps those who are in his former hell, Oct. 16, Free Press). She said there was something about the column that touched her so much that she saved it.

“Today, I know why,” the mother wrote. “I need Ian Rabb’s help to save my son.”

I contacted Rabb, who promised to contact her. Rabb also said he continues to receive a couple of calls a month as a result of the column.

“So it is still helping people,” he wrote. “Thanks.”

Of course, it’s Ian Rabb who really deserves the thanks.

AND FINALLY, SOME PEOPLE I’M PROUD OF… Premier Greg Selinger, former mayor Susan Thompson and I can walk a little taller today.

Our old high school, St. James, won the provincial AAA boys basketball championship on the weekend, 88-83 over St. John’s-Ravenscourt. In overtime.

What made the victory even sweeter was how they did it; the only time St. James led was in overtime.

And what makes it even sweeter, personally, is who the St. James coach was. My son-in-law, Ryan Kangas.

gordon.sinclair@freeepress.mb.ca