Those we lost in 2015

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/01/2016 (3762 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The first column of the new year is the time to recognize the athletes, builders and volunteers the Manitoba sports community lost during 2015.

Let’s begin with those who received our province’s highest sports honour, induction into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame. The individual athletes are golfer Dan Halldorson, speed skater Eileen (Whalley) Richards and hockey player Wally Stanowski. Frank McKinnon was an excellent athlete and a true builder of sport, who also was inducted into a number of individual sport halls. Other builders were George Phillips in the all round category, Wezer Bridle from volleyball and Joan Whalley of curling. Softball builder Gerry Howard, who died Dec. 1, also chaired the Manitoba Section of the Canadian Figure Skating Association.

Doug Gresham starred for the 1954 Paulins basketball team. Bruce Palmer quarterbacked the 1955 Canadian junior football champion Winnipeg Rods. Tom Armstrong was with the 1962 and the 1968-69 Canadian champion St. Vital Bulldogs. Joe Williams was a member of the 1962 Grey Cup champion Blue Bombers. Glen Sonmor, who died Dec. 14, played for the Brandon Wheat Kings that lost the 1949 Canadian junior hockey final. Lynn Davis was a goalie for the 1957 Memorial Cup champion Flin Flon Bombers. Ray Landkamer coached the 1967 Winnipeg mixed five-pin bowling team. Their teams have been inducted into the Manitoba HOF.

For her accomplishments in 1967, Irene (Miller) Howard from wheelchair sports won the first Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association female athlete of the year award. Speed skater Jennifer Jackson-Jones competed in the 1972 Winter Olympics. Paget Stewart was a member of the Canadian biathlon team at the 1988 Winter Olympics. Todd Hinds was the assistant coach for the Canadian women’s wrestling team at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Teulon-born Sheldon Galbraith, who coached champion figure skaters including Barbara Ann Scott and Donald Jackson, was inducted into the Canada’s Sports, Canadian Olympic and World Figure Skating shrines.

In 1981, Pixie Brazzell from the horse world became the first woman to chair the Manitoba Sports Federation board. Don Brownell headed both the provincial and national handball associations and is a member of the Canadian Handball HOF. A coach, administrator and referee, Jim Bobby was inducted into the Ringette Canada HOF.

Gord Pennell and Gord Stratton are members of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame. Stymie Love was inducted in October as a member of the 1953-54 Dauphin Kings. Brian Cadle was a junior Jet and played for the original WHA Jets team. Wayne Hawrysh played for the WCJHL Flin Flon Bombers before going pro and was an OCN Blizzard coach. Jim Walker was a MJHL coach of the year and a longtime Chicago Blackhawks scout.

A coach and administrator of sport in northern Manitoba for many years, Red Sangster was inducted into the provincial baseball HOF. Mark Flynn, Dirk (Bubble Gum) Gibbons, Iggy Scaletta and Hal Westberg also had been honoured. In June, Peter Rempel was inducted with the 1964-69 Steinbach Millers and Jim Robertson with the 1945-50 Rosedales. Robertson and Westberg also won Manitoba senior curling championships.

The curling community lost MCA honorary life members Spence Shiach, Ken Parfeniuk, Rob Cox, Roy Gorkoff and Cliff Schmidt, who died Dec. 18. Brian Clapham and Brian Penston were provincial junior champion skips. Jack Wolfe from MacGregor won the MCA bonspiel championship in 1973 beating 727 teams. Jean Demetrioff  skipped a provincial senior women’s championship team. Peter Read won a California state championship with his brother Gary and former Winnipeg football player Al Ackland.

Bob Walker was our province’s fastest marathoner and a member of the Manitoba Runners’ Association HOF. Ian Bell captained the Canadian field hockey team and was a provincial squash champion. Frank Moski coached IPAC Rovers to a Canadian junior soccer championship and John Addison coached Sir John Franklin to two Canadian youth championships.

Bob Jones was involved in wrestling for more than 50 years as a competitor, coach, administrator and official. Bill Predinchuk was a three-sport athlete and a baseball umpire. Allan Dryburgh was a football official who worked in three Grey Cups. Dr. Tom Harpley won a Grey Cup with Toronto in 1952 before joining the Bombers. Shawn Coates, who had worked for the Bombers and CFL, was the Football Manitoba executive director. Geraldine Bagot, who was born in Elgin, was inducted into the B.C. Athletics HOF for her more than 40 years of involvement.

Ralph Wilson pitched for the Winnipeg junior Colonels coached by Joe Nespor, a 2014 Manitoba Softball HOF inductee. Mary (Caliguere) Tataryn was inducted with the 1948 St. Boniface Athletics. Harry Condon, Mo Ponton and Cliff Anderson played for the 1959-1964 Kiewel Seals/Manitoba Clothing teams. Anderson also was inducted into the provincial 10-pin HOF. Don Middleton and Frank Searle were top-level softball umpires.

Allie Sherman coached the Blue Bombers from 1954 to 1956 before spending eight seasons as head coach of the NFL New York Giants. The Bombers also lost star running back Mack Herron. Darryl Dawkins was the colourfully suited coach of the Winnipeg Cyclone pro basketball team. Winnipeg-born Mike Gallo was basketball star Steve Nash’s first coach in Victoria. Dave Hoyda was with the Jets for the team’s first NHL season in 1979-80. Former Montreal Expo Steve Shea pitched for the Winnipeg Whips in 1970 and 1971. Walter Young played for the Winnipeg Goldeyes in 2007. Rowdy Roddy Piper (Roderick George Toombs) started his wrestling career in Manitoba.

Also deserving to be remembered are: John Carter (badminton), Gerry Curle and Bob Shipley (baseball), Ed Still and Jim Schrofel (basketball), Alex Ledarney (body building), Glen Ball (horse racing), John Campbell and Larry Ziffle (lacrosse), Shirley (Tuck) Miguez (swimming), Albert Multins (table tennis), Harry Pruden (track), John Masniuk (trap shooting) and Eric Bartz (volleyball).

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