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This article was published 13/01/2020 (2335 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Let us remember the sports people who died in 2019 by starting with those inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame.
Joan Ingram, who passed on Dec. 27, won Canadian championships in both curling and softball and was inducted into the halls of fame for both sports. In 2000, she was one of five finalists for Manitoba female athlete of the 20th Century and two years later she entered the provincial shrine.
Jim Daly, a 1994 builder inductee for athletics, was involved in his sport for 60-plus years. He served as executive director of the 1967 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg and was Canada’s chef de mission at two Commonwealth Games. When Dr. Peter Porritt was inducted in 2000, he became the first field hockey builder in the Hall. He also headed the Manitoba Cricket Association.
Two individual HOF inductees from hockey left us. A 2009 inductee, Andy Hebenton, who got his start in St. James, played pro hockey for 27 seasons including nine in the NHL. He set an iron man streak of 1,062 games. Ted Green, a 2003 inductee, was a star defenseman in both the NHL and WHA, where he finished his playing career with the Jets, winning two Avco Cups. He played for the 1959 Memorial Cup champion Winnipeg Braves, who were inducted into the Sports HOF in the team category. His Braves teammates Al LeBlanc and John Rodger also died this year.
Other hockey team members in the HOF who passed included Bill Vickers of the 1943 Winnipeg Rangers, Brian English of the 1965 U of M Bisons, Randy Hextall of the 1972-73 Portage Terriers, and Orval Gower of the 1973-74 Selkirk Steelers. Gordon Simpson coached the 1964 Allan Cup champion Winnipeg Maroons and went into the Manitoba Baseball HOF with the St. Boniface Native Sons. A top hockey referee, Dick Paulley played for the 1954 and ‘55 Manitoba Lacrosse Junior All-Stars, who lost in the national Minto Cup final.
Edward Mazur, Walter Zapisocki, Norm Frederickson and Art Ladd were members of amateur football teams inducted into the Sports HOF.
Kuno Mirwaldt was a member of the 1962 Canadian soccer champion ANAF Scottish. Kenny Dilk and Ronnie Taylor played for the Molson Canadians, who won the 1967 Canadian men’s softball championship and finished second in the 1968 world championship. They also were with the 1973 Western Major Fastball League champion Winnipeg Colonels. Taylor’s mother, Jean, won a Canadian pairs roller dance skating title in her younger days.
Janet Arnott was honoured by the Manitoba Curling HOF in 1984 as the lead on the team from the Fort Rouge Curling Club that won the world title earlier that year. She also coached the Jennifer Jones team to Olympic gold in 2014. Jones’ father, Larry, who coached her team to its first Canadian championship in 2005, was a Manitoba Curling Association (MCA) honorary life member. So were Harry Mawhinney, Bill McKnight and Tom McKnight. Provincial champions Lorne Duguid, Leo Kelsch, Al West, Rose Taylor, Mary Robertson and Florence Albi also left us. Gordie McTavish curled for a Granite team in the 1965 world championship and was the MCA president in 1966-67. Bob Picken, best known for his broadcasting career with CJOB and CBC, also headed the MCA. His resume included induction into the Manitoba baseball, curling, golf and hockey halls of fame.
Doug McIlraith broadcast sports for CBC for a number of years and was an international track and field official. Winnipeg Free Press reporter Randy Turner wrote two books about the Winnipeg Jets. Gary Whyte, who died in Nanaimo, B.C., in December, did play-by-play for MJHL games on cable TV for several seasons and coached the Red River Rebels hockey team. Cam Brock also coached the Rebels and was a fine golfer. The hockey community also lost Joe Cyr, Smiley Krivak, Don Larway, Guy Lash, Herb Schiller and Bill Short. Frank Guly went into the baseball HOF with the CUAC Blues. John Kuklica, Ivan Seneshen and Norma (Wasylyk) Reeves played for teams in the Manitoba Softball HOF. Softball also lost Lynda Hardy, Betty Anne Turner, Marshall Shuster and Ben Zacharias.
Manitoba also said farewell to a number of all-around athletes. Brian Toews won a Canadian men’s curling championship and played for teams in both the Manitoba baseball and softball halls of fame. Al Johnson and Bruce Carmichael had long pro hockey careers and, in the summers, Johnson played baseball for the Native Sons and Carmichael for Fort Whyte, both HOF teams. Eddie McDonald was Carmichael’s teammate and also a member of the Kiewel White Seals in the softball hall. He was such a good hitter that he could play senior baseball on a Sunday afternoon and senior fastball the same night.
Dr. Andy Lillie, who died in Arizona, was an excellent three-sport athlete, who went into the baseball shrine with the Rosedales. Morley Barron was a track star in high school, a junior baseball all-star, a provincial slo-pitch champion with the Touring All-Stars, and served as president of Tennis Manitoba. Merv Moxley won the 1952 Manitoba amateur golf championship, was a top five-pin bowler, and was inducted into the Manitoba Trap Shooting Hall of Honour.
The Manitoba Basketball HOF lost builder Stew Farnell, who coached provincial championship teams at Vincent Massey high school in Brandon. Jo-Ann (Schultz) Koskie played for Glenlawn Collegiate and the St. Vital Grads in the HOF. Denis Burns from the Transcona club golfed with the Manitoba senior men’s team at the Canadians in 2004 and 2008. Fran Russell was an outstanding five-pin bowler, who represented Manitoba on both ladies and mixed teams. Bob Lovatt held the provincial triple jump record for many years.
Ted Bartman was president of the Blue Bombers when they won the Grey Cup in 1990. Ardell Sayler was the leading trainer at Assiniboia Downs 12 times. Sandra Lepard was a director of the Manitoba Division of the Canadian Thoroughbred Society. Alfred Sutton was one of the first builder inductees in the Ringette Manitoba HOF. Kristin Chaban was a ringette volunteer and official for many years. Anne Doherty was a past chair of Skate Canada Manitoba and an international judge and Pat Myles a well-respected skating teacher.
A long-time physical education instructor and coach at Red River, Jack Kaplan was an international badminton judge. Syd Glenesh’s volunteer work touched many sports. Greg Scammell served as the chair of Special Olympics Manitoba. Janette Hargreaves was a gold-medal winner in Special Olympics rhythmic gymnastics.
Winnipeg-born Marilyn (Russell) Pomfret coached the UBC women’s volleyball team to two national titles and was the founder of the Canadian Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Union.
A tennis player, Ken MacRae served as commodore of the Winnipeg Canoe Club. Barry Hooke was a fine senior softball player in Brandon and later a rules official for Golf Manitoba. Bruce Cromb served as president of Squash Manitoba. Lacrosse lost Gary Albo, Tom Krowetz, Stew Holms and Terry Ross. Don Breen was a volunteer for the Winnipeg South Minor Baseball Association and had a diamond at the Charleswood Baseball Complex named in his honour.
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
Let us remember the sports people who died in 2019 by starting with those inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame.
Joan Ingram, who passed on Dec. 27, won Canadian championships in both curling and softball and was inducted into the halls of fame for both sports. In 2000, she was one of five finalists for Manitoba female athlete of the 20th Century and two years later she entered the provincial shrine.
John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press Photo Archive
Legendary curler and coach Janet Arnott (left, with the members of Jennifer Jones Olympic gold medal-winning rink), who died June 24, was one of the sports figures Manitoba lost in 2019.
Jim Daly, a 1994 builder inductee for athletics, was involved in his sport for 60-plus years. He served as executive director of the 1967 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg and was Canada’s chef de mission at two Commonwealth Games.
When Dr. Peter Porritt was inducted in 2000, he became the first field hockey builder in the Hall. He also headed the Manitoba Cricket Association.
Two individual HOF inductees from hockey left us. A 2009 inductee, Andy Hebenton, who got his start in St. James, played pro hockey for 27 seasons including nine in the NHL. He set an iron man streak of 1,062 games.
Ted Green, a 2003 inductee, was a star defenseman in both the NHL and WHA, where he finished his playing career with the Jets, winning two Avco Cups. He played for the 1959 Memorial Cup champion Winnipeg Braves, who were inducted into the Sports HOF in the team category. His Braves teammates Al LeBlanc and John Rodger also died this year.
Other hockey team members in the HOF who passed included Bill Vickers of the 1943 Winnipeg Rangers, Brian English of the 1965 U of M Bisons, Randy Hextall of the 1972-73 Portage Terriers, and Orval Gower of the 1973-74 Selkirk Steelers.
Gordon Simpson coached the 1964 Allan Cup champion Winnipeg Maroons and went into the Manitoba Baseball HOF with the St. Boniface Native Sons. A top hockey referee, Dick Paulley played for the 1954 and ‘55 Manitoba Lacrosse Junior All-Stars, who lost in the national Minto Cup final.
Edward Mazur, Walter Zapisocki, Norm Frederickson and Art Ladd were members of amateur football teams inducted into the Sports HOF. Kuno Mirwaldt was a member of the 1962 Canadian soccer champion ANAF Scottish. Kenny Dilk and Ronnie Taylor played for the Molson Canadians, who won the 1967 Canadian men’s softball championship and finished second in the 1968 world championship. They also were with the 1973 Western Major Fastball League champion Winnipeg Colonels. Taylor’s mother, Jean, won a Canadian pairs roller dance skating title in her younger days.
Janet Arnott was honoured by the Manitoba Curling HOF in 1984 as the lead on the team from the Fort Rouge Curling Club that won the world title earlier that year. She also coached the Jennifer Jones team to Olympic gold in 2014. Jones’ father, Larry, who coached her team to its first Canadian championship in 2005, was a Manitoba Curling Association (MCA) honorary life member. So were Harry Mawhinney, Bill McKnight and Tom McKnight.
Provincial curling champions Lorne Duguid, Leo Kelsch, Al West, Rose Taylor, Mary Robertson and Florence Albi also left us. Gordie McTavish curled for a Granite team in the 1965 world championship and was the MCA president in 1966-67. Bob Picken, best known for his broadcasting career with CJOB and CBC, also headed the MCA. His resume included induction into the Manitoba baseball, curling, golf and hockey halls of fame.
Doug McIlraith broadcast sports for CBC for a number of years and was an international track and field official. Winnipeg Free Press reporter Randy Turner wrote two books about the Winnipeg Jets. Gary Whyte, who died in Nanaimo, B.C., in December, did play-by-play for MJHL games on cable TV for several seasons and coached the Red River Rebels hockey team. Cam Brock also coached the Rebels and was a fine golfer.
The hockey community also lost Joe Cyr, Smiley Krivak, Don Larway, Guy Lash, Herb Schiller and Bill Short. Frank Guly went into the baseball HOF with the CUAC Blues. John Kuklica, Ivan Seneshen and Norma (Wasylyk) Reeves played for teams in the Manitoba Softball HOF. Softball also lost Lynda Hardy, Betty Anne Turner, Marshall Shuster and Ben Zacharias.
Winnipeg Free Press Photo Archives
Sports broadcaster Bob Picken, who died on Jan. 30, was one of the many sports figures we lost in 2019.
Manitoba also said farewell to a number of all-around athletes. Brian Toews won a Canadian men’s curling championship and played for teams in both the Manitoba baseball and softball halls of fame. Al Johnson and Bruce Carmichael had long pro hockey careers and, in the summers, Johnson played baseball for the Native Sons and Carmichael for Fort Whyte, both HOF teams. Eddie McDonald was Carmichael’s teammate and also a member of the Kiewel White Seals in the softball hall. He was such a good hitter that he could play senior baseball on a Sunday afternoon and senior fastball the same night.
Dr. Andy Lillie, who died in Arizona, was an excellent three-sport athlete, who went into the baseball shrine with the Rosedales. Morley Barron was a track star in high school, a junior baseball all-star, a provincial slo-pitch champion with the Touring All-Stars, and served as president of Tennis Manitoba. Merv Moxley won the 1952 Manitoba amateur golf championship, was a top five-pin bowler, and was inducted into the Manitoba Trap Shooting Hall of Honour.
The Manitoba Basketball HOF lost builder Stew Farnell, who coached provincial championship teams at Vincent Massey high school in Brandon. Jo-Ann (Schultz) Koskie played for Glenlawn Collegiate and the St. Vital Grads in the HOF. Denis Burns from the Transcona club golfed with the Manitoba senior men’s team at the Canadians in 2004 and 2008. Fran Russell was an outstanding five-pin bowler, who represented Manitoba on both ladies and mixed teams. Bob Lovatt held the provincial triple jump record for many years. Ted Bartman was president of the Blue Bombers when they won the Grey Cup in 1990.
Ardell Sayler was the leading trainer at Assiniboia Downs 12 times. Sandra Lepard was a director of the Manitoba Division of the Canadian Thoroughbred Society. Alfred Sutton was one of the first builder inductees in the Ringette Manitoba HOF. Kristin Chaban was a ringette volunteer and official for many years . Anne Doherty was a past chair of Skate Canada Manitoba and an international judge and Pat Myles a well-respected skating teacher.
A long-time physical education instructor and coach at Red River, Jack Kaplan was an international badminton judge. Syd Glenesh’s volunteer work touched many sports. Greg Scammell served as the chair of Special Olympics Manitoba. Janette Hargreaves was a gold-medal winner in Special Olympics rhythmic gymnastics.
Winnipeg-born Marilyn (Russell) Pomfret coached the UBC women’s volleyball team to two national titles and was the founder of the Canadian Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Union. A tennis player, Ken MacRae served as commodore of the Winnipeg Canoe Club. Barry Hooke was a fine senior softball player in Brandon and later a rules official for Golf Manitoba. Bruce Cromb served as president of Squash Manitoba. Lacrosse lost Gary Albo, Tom Krowetz, Stew Holms and Terry Ross. Don Breen was a volunteer for the Winnipeg South Minor Baseball Association and had a diamond at the Charleswood Baseball Complex named in his honour.
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
