You are here: Home / Archives for In Memory

February 19, 2012: Funeral Monday for first ever CFL draft pick McNichol

February 22, 2012 By

via:  http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/Funeral+Monday+first+ever+draft+pick+McNichol/6177759/story.html

By Ian Macdonald, Postmedia News February 19, 2012

MONTREAL — A funeral service is scheduled for Monday in Mississauga, Ont., for Canadian Football League Hall of Famer Doug McNichol, who died Thursday after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

He was 81.

McNichol was selected by the Montreal Alouettes with the No. 1 pick in the CFL’s first draft of Canadian players in 1953. The St. Catharines, Ont., native would became a cornerstone of the Montreal defence on an exciting and colourful team through the mid 1950s.

The Alouettes won three straight Eastern titles from 1954-56, before losing the Grey Cup each year to the Edmonton Eskimos. An all-star in football and basketball at the University of Western Ontario, McNichol signed a CFL contract with Hamilton while finishing his business-administration degree at Western. However, this was at a time when the CFL and the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union were working out an agreement on how to operate a draft of Canadian collegiate players.

“That made the contract I’d signed with Hamilton null and void,” McNichol explained years later. “Montreal drafted me.”

The six-foot-four, 240-pounder had arranged to work with Pittsburgh Glass in Hamilton. Fortunately, the company had an office in Montreal and had a job for him here.

The reason the Alouettes had the No. 1 pick in the 1953 draft was because they finished with a league-worst 2-10 record the previous season, which was Peahead Walker’s first year as head coach. Things improved quickly after that.

Walker had arranged to bring future Hall of Fame quarterback Sam Etcheverry in for the 1952 season, and along with McNichol the newcomers included Tom Hugo, Tex Coulter and Ray Poole. Alex Webster joined the Als midway through the season.

“Doug really hit hard,” Etcheverry, who died in 2009, once recalled. “He even hit hard in practice.”

When he was asked about that, McNichol chuckled and said:

“That’s right. You had to. The harder you hit the better (Walker) liked it. He didn’t care about style. He liked the loud noise on contact.”

That noise was heard in the National Football League.

On the word of Coulter, who played for years with the New York Giants, McNichol was flown to the Big Apple and offered an NFL contract. The Alouettes responded by offering him a $12,000 salary, which was decent in those days.

In 1960, Canadian Pittsburgh Industries wanted McNichol to take over as manager of its Toronto office and he asked Alouettes to trade him. McNichol and Billy Shipp were dealt to the Argonauts in exchange for Bobby Jack Oliver and Ron Brewer.

Montreal Gazette

imacdonald@montrealgazette.com

Filed Under: 2012 Articles of Interest, Articles of Interest, In Memory Tagged With: ,

February 21, 2012: Tributes pour in for CFL legend who led Blue Bombers to greatness

February 21, 2012 By

via: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/the-most-complete-coach-139794473.html

 

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers football family lost a legend this weekend.

Cal Murphy, the gruff but lovable coach who finally delivered a CFL championship to Grey Cup-starved Winnipeg football fans in 1984, died in a Regina hospital Saturday evening.

The nine-time Cup champion and one of the most influential figures in the history of the Bombers was 79.

News of his death resonated throughout the league over the weekend, many remembering the former Bombers head coach and general manager as not only a respected football man, but a staunch advocate of the Canadian game.

“He was so much a part of this community and really an innovator in the Canadian Football League,” former Bombers GM Paul Robson said over the weekend. Robson was the man who brought Murphy to Winnipeg prior to the 1983 season.

“Certainly his record as a coach is unparalleled. He was probably the most complete coach that ever coached in the Canadian Football League.”

Murphy’s arrival in Winnipeg instantly changed the fortunes of the Blue and Gold. He guided the team to a 9-7 record and the West final, winning the CFL coach-of-the-year honour in his first season. Just a year later, Murphy coached the Bombers to their first Grey Cup title in 22 seasons and picked up his second straight coach-of-the-year award.

“I really felt that our team was a little soft, and Cal came in and corrected that,” Robson recalled. “He knew where he was going, he knew where we had to get to, and he knew the kind of people that he needed to get us there.”

The ’84 Cup was the beginning of a dominant run for Murphy and the Bombers. The franchise picked up three titles in a seven-season span, the first with Murphy as the coach and the last two with him serving as general manager with Mike Riley on the sidelines.

Prior to the 1992 season, “Kindly Cal” was about to return to the Bomber sidelines when he suffered a heart attack that required emergency bypass surgery.

Murphy, who had a history of heart problems, underwent a heart transplant and spent most of his time in a London, Ont., recovery hospital thinking about football during that year — even discussing game strategy with interim head coach Urban Bowman and assistant GM Lyle Bauer over the phone.

Murphy’s recovery was remarkable: His new heart (which came from a last-minute donor) added another 20 years to his life.

Many called him stubborn, but that just spoke to the type of man he was, players said.

“He was tough as hell,” said Bauer, who also played under Murphy before retiring in 1991. “He may have been (stubborn), but the side you don’t know about is what he did for players — how he helped them… how he helped guide them and prepared them for life’s challenges.”

Murphy went on coach the Bombers from 1993-96, finishing with 86 wins (second only to Bud Grant in Bomber history) and a .627 winning percentage. He was with the club for five Grey Cup appearances, winning three in his 14 seasons in Winnipeg.

He was inducted into the Bombers Hall of Fame in 2002 and the CFL Hall of Fame in 2004.

Born in Winnipeg in 1932, Murphy’s family moved to Vancouver, where he starred at Vancouver College and the University of British Columbia and later turned to coaching. His long association with the CFL started with the B.C. Lions (1974-76), eventually moving onto the Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes (1977) before serving as an assistant in Edmonton, where he won five more titles during the Eskimos’ dynasty (1978-82).

Murphy also coached with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (1997-99), and later put in time with the Frankfurt Galaxy (NFL Europe) and Chicago Enforcers (XFL). He worked as a scout for the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts right up until his death.

Murphy is survived by his wife, Joyce, and their seven children.

Service arrangements have been set for Thursday and Friday in Regina.

A vigil is set for Thursday evening at the Holy Cross Church (315 Douglas Ave. E.) at 7:30 p.m. The funeral is at 1 p.m. Friday afternoon at the same location.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca

The life of Cal Murphy

Born: March 12, 1932 in Winnipeg

Died: Feb. 18, 2012 in Regina, Sask.

Family: Joyce (spouse); Carol, Mike, Barb, Erin, Shannon, Brian, Kelly (children)

Inducted into the Blue Bombers Hall of Fame in 2002

Inducted into the CFL Hall of Fame in 2004

Won nine Grey Cups (three in Winnipeg, five in Edmonton, one with Montreal)

Early football years

Starred as a defensive back and quarterback at Vancouver College and the University of British Columbia; played briefly with the B.C. Lions; got into coaching in 1960; coached at Eastern Washington, Hawaii, and San Jose State before moving to the pros in 1974.

CFL beginnings

Worked as an assistant coach with the Lions before being promoted to head coach six games into the 1975 campaign; guided the Leos to a 5-5 record that year; was fired after a disappointing 1976 record (5-9-2); coached under Marv Levy for one championship season in Montreal (1977) before moving on to an assistant coach position in Edmonton; won five Grey Cups with the Eskimos (1978-82).

Bombers legacy

1983-86: Hired by GM Paul Robson and led the club to a 9-7 record. Murphy was named coach of the year; in 1984, Winnipeg won the Grey Cup for the first time in 22 years. Named coach of the year again; the team went 23-11 the next two seasons.

1987-91: Moved into the front office and hired Mike Riley as head coach; won two more Grey Cups (1988, 1990) as the Winnipeg GM.

1992-96: Was to return to coaching in 1992 but suffered a heart attack, requiring emergency bypass surgery and a heart transplant; returned to the sidelines in ’93. Winnipeg reached the title game that year, but lost to Edmonton; was let go following the 1996 season; compiled a 86-51-1 record (.627 winning percentage) as Bombers head coach.

Post-Winnipeg career

Served as offensive co-ordinator for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1997-98; took over as head coach in 1999; had stints as an assistant with the NFL Europe’s Frankfurt Galaxy (2000) and the XFL’s Chicago Enforcers (2001); worked as a scout for the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts the last number of years until his death.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 21, 2012 A4

Filed Under: 2012 Articles of Interest, Articles of Interest, In Memory Tagged With:

February 16, 2012: CFL mourns the loss of Warren Hudson

February 17, 2012 By

via: http://www.cfl.ca/article/cfl-mourns-the-loss-of-warren-hudson

THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO — He was a devastating blocker who routinely drove opposing defenders into the ground. But Warren Hudson will also be remembered as someone who never kicked a fellow player when he was down.

Hudson, who was named the top Canadian in the 1990 Grey Cup, died Thursday of brain cancer. He was 49.

“Warren was so competitive, so driven yet didn’t have an ego,” said Don Moen, a former teammate of Hudson’s with the Toronto Argonauts. “He was the kind of guy who would run over someone, then go over and help him up.

“He’s probably the greatest person I’ve ever known. Warren and his family never ceased to amaze me, they never once asked ‘Why?’ ”

Moen routinely overcame injury to appear in a club-record 222 games over 13 seasons with the Argos. But he said it was Hudson who was the epitome of toughness and class, on and off the football field.

Known for dishing out punishing blocks and paving the way for speedy running backs, the Toronto native, spent nine seasons in the CFL with the Argos and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

He appeared in three Grey Cup games but it was the 1990 contest in Vancouver that Hudson truly stood out, helping Winnipeg earn a lopsided 50-11 championship win over the Edmonton Eskimos at B.C. Place.

Hudson had four catches for 66 yards and a touchdown and also ran in for another in being named the game’s outstanding Canadian. His first TD came on an 18-yard pass from Tom Burgess before scoring on a two-yard run.

Both of Hudson’s touchdowns capped a wild third quarter for the Bombers, who outscored Edmonton 28-0 in the frame to blow open the contest. Winnipeg went into halftime with a 10-4 advantage.

Winnipeg hasn’t captured the Grey Cup since, the longest championship drought in the CFL. The Bombers have made five appearances in the big game since 1990, losing them all, including a 34-23 decision to the B.C. Lions in last year’s final at B.C. Place.

The six-foot-two, 225-pound Hudson was a running back’s bestfriend. In 1989 with Toronto, Hudson led the way for Gill Fenerty to rush for 1,247 yards.

During Hudson’s three-year run as a starter in Toronto, the speedy Fenerty rushed for 3,094 yards.

The following season after being dealt to Winnipeg, Hudson paved the way for Robert Mimbs to run for a league-high 1,341 yards.

They’re impressive stats for a player who made the jump to the CFL after playing junior football with the Oshawa Hawkeyes. Originally Hudson played linebacker but was converted to fullback.

Hudson spent three seasons with the Bombers before returning to Toronto to finish his CFL career in 1993. He appeared in 144 career games, rushing for 1,507 yards on 296 carries with 23 touchdowns.

Hudson also registered 204 career catches for 1,951 yards. He was named a West Division all-star in 1990 and ’92.

After his retirement, Hudson worked as theatrical stagehand, helping design sets used during a run of the musical “Les Miserables” at the Royal Alexandra Theatre.

In 2003, Hudson suffered a seizure while driving home from one of his son’s hockey games. The family initially thought Hudson had a stroke, but instead he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour called anaplastic astrocytoma.

“I saw Warren (Wednesday night) and he was at peace,” Moen said. “He kept this to himself for years because he didn’t want anyone to know about it and worry about him.

”He never wanted anyone to feel sorry for him, never once did he ever say that this wasn’t fair. Like I said, he was truly an amazing guy.”

Hudson, who died in an Oakville, Ont., hospital, is survived by his wife, Kelly, and sons Cory and Will.

Funeral arrangements were not immediately available.

Filed Under: 2012 Articles of Interest, Articles of Interest, In Memory

February 6, 2012: Mr. Argo lived with passion

February 6, 2012 By

John Stewart

Via:  http://www.mississauga.com/news/article/1292895–mr-argo-lived-with-passion

The man often seen standing on the sidelines at the Gordon Graydon Memorial Secondary School field didn’t attract much attention from the Mississauga Football League or Graydon Hawks’ players practicing or playing there.

Charlie Camilleri would often stroll over to the field from his longtime home near the high school because he loved to watch football — any kind of football.

Had the players known who he was, a two-time Grey Cup champion with the Toronto Argos as a backup quarterback in 1946 and 1947 before a broken pelvis forced an early retirement, they might have insisted on hearing the great stories Camilleri could tell.

And those stories wouldn’t have just been about his football career.

After joining Columbia Records of Canada (later CBS) in 1958, Camilleri promoted some of the biggest names in entertainment over the next three decades including Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Burton Cummings, Janis Joplin, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and Wynton Marsalis.

Camilleri, who lived in Mississauga since 1960, died just before Christmas of congestive heart failure. He was 88.

Camilleri’s son, Ron, who would follow in his father’s footsteps in the record business, says the celebration of his father’s life held on Jan. 28 brought together his father’s friends from his two worlds for the first time.

“It was a nice chance for everybody to meet,” says Camilleri.

All-time Argo great, receiver Zeke O’Connor, was among some 40 ex-players including Bill Symons, Michael (Pinball) Clemons and Mississauga’s Steve Ackroyd and Fred Doty who attended the event.

In his remarks to about 140 attendees, O’Connor said that, “no one really deserved the title of Mr. Argo as much as Charlie. He did have the passion and the love and the trueness. Friendship is a mutual trust and respect and we are all lucky to have known him. He had that for everyone.”

Ron Camilleri says his father “organized all the lunches, made all the phone calls and got everyone on the same page for the Argo alumni. He represented the old boys’ network” of Argos.

In a testimonial sent to the family, former Argo coach Leo Cahill said, “he was a true Argo who always had a word of support for me.”

When the late Joe Krol was named to The Sports Network’s all-time Argo team a few years ago, “he would only show up if dad was there,” says Ron.

Charlie Camilleri inspired unshakeable trust in both his teammates and in the many musicians whose careers he launched in Canada. Many became close, personal friends.

Camilleri’s twin sons Ron and Rick both became top executives with Columbia and Sony Music Canada, respectively.

“He took us to all the shows when we were just young,” says Ron, who particularly remembers a concert by Bruce Springsteen at the Seneca College field house on a bitterly cold night on Dec. 21, 1975.

“Ever since we were little guys, we were hanging out with the stars. That might be why we followed in his footsteps,” says Camilleri, a musician himself who has an Elton John tribute band with his brother.

“He wasn’t a celebrity as such, but everybody in the business knew him and every time they came to Canada, they would ask, ‘Where’s Charlie?’ He was very good at what he did and so well-liked. There was everybody else in the business — and then there was my dad. He was at an entirely different level.”

As well as his Grey Cup rings, Camilleri also won a Canadian softball title with People’s Credit Jewellers.

The World War II veteran played for the Canadian Navy football team, which was coached by Applewood Acres resident Teddy Morris. It was Morris who later brought Camilleri to the Argos when he became their coach.

A longtime volunteer with the Variety Club, Camilleri was honoured with both its Heart Award and its International Award.

CBS Records established a Charlie Camilleri Award upon his retirement from the company.

Camilleri is survived by his wife, Peggy, his sons and grandson, Spencer.

Filed Under: 2012 Articles of Interest, Articles of Interest, In Memory Tagged With:

January 28, 2012: Bombers alumni loses Doug MacIver

January 29, 2012 By

 

FORMER Winnipeg Blue Bomber Doug MacIver, 58, died early Thursday morning.

MacIver played on the Bombers’ defensive line from 1982-1984 and was part of the 1984 Grey Cup championship team.

“The entire Blue Bomber organization is saddened by the news of Doug’s passing. As a member of our 1984 Grey Cup team, he will always be remembered as a champion in the city of Winnipeg. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family,” the Blue Bombers organization said in a statement.

MacIver’s CFL career began in Toronto where he played for the Argonauts from 1976-1978. He recorded his only career touchdown in his rookie season with Toronto on a fumble recovery.

After the Argonauts released him, he played from 1979-81 for the Saskatchewan Roughriders before being traded to the Blue Bombers.

MacIver, a former member of the University of Manitoba Bisons, was a 1975 draft pick of the Bombers. As a Blue Bomber, he recorded seven sacks.

– Staff

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 27, 2012 C4

via:  http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/football/bombers/bombers-alumni-loses-doug-maciver-138186394.html

Filed Under: 2012 Articles of Interest, Articles of Interest, In Memory Tagged With:

January 28, 2012: Memorial Service for Doug MacIver

January 29, 2012 By

A memorial service for Doug MacIver will be held at 3:00 pm CT on Monday, January 30th, 2012, in the Wellington Room of the Victoria Inn, 1808 Wellington Avenue in Winnipeg. A webcast of the service will be available at by  CLICKING HERE  for those who aren’t able to attend in person.

A brief obituary was published in the Winnipeg Free Press today: Passages – Winnipeg Free Press

For those who would like to extend condolences to Doug’s wife Evelyn and his family, and share your memories of Doug, please sign the online Book of Memories or send an email to mailto:condolences@nbardal.mb.ca

Filed Under: 2012 Articles of Interest, Articles of Interest, In Memory Tagged With:

January 26, 2012: Former Bomber Doug MacIver dies at 58

January 29, 2012 By

Winnipeg Free Press – ONLINE EDITION

Former Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive lineman Doug MacIver, 58, died early Thursday morning.

MacIver played on the Bombers’ defensive line in 1982-1984 and was part of the 1984 Grey Cup championship team.

His Canadian Football League career began in Toronto where he played for the Argonauts in 1976-1978. He recorded his only career touchdown in his rookie season with Toronto on a fumble recovery.

After the Argonauts released him, he went on to play in 1979-81 for the Saskatchewan Roughriders before being traded to the Blue Bombers.

MacIver, a former member of the University of Manitoba Bisons, was a 1975 draft pick of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. As a Blue Bombers player, MacIver recorded seven sacks.

In a statement, the Winnipeg Football Club extended its deepest sympathies to MacIver’s family.

“The entire Blue Bomber organization is saddened by the news of Doug’s passing. As a member of our 1984 Grey Cup team, he will always be remembered as a champion in the city of Winnipeg. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family,” the Blue Bombers organization said in a statement.

 

via: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/Former-Bomber-Doug-MacIver-dies-at-58-138148993.html

Filed Under: 2012 Articles of Interest, Articles of Interest, In Memory Tagged With:

January 19, 2012: Remembering Pete Thodos

January 19, 2012 By

By Daryl Slade
Calgary Herald

The Calgary Stampeders have lost one of the legendary heroes of their historic first Grey Cup victory in 1948.

Pete Thodos, who scored the winning touchdown in the Stamps’ 12-7 triumph over Ottawa Rough Riders at Toronto to complete an unbeaten season, died on Christmas Day in his native Vancouver, his wife Marjorie confirmed on Thursday.

He was 84.

The 5-foot-9, 180-pound halfback sealed the deal when he went around right end and bulled over from 10 yards out about three minutes into the fourth quarter to overcome a 7-6 deficit. Stamps’ stingy defence held on for the tense final 12 minutes.

Calgary had won all 12 games during the regular Western Interprovincial Football Union season, then beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 21-10 in a two-game, total-point west final to earn their Grey Cup berth. The only blemish was a 4-4 tie at Regina in the opener of the series.

Calgary supporters, who flocked to Toronto for the game and were among the crowd of 20,000, turned the Grey Cup into the party it is today with pancake breakfasts, square dancing and horses on the streets.

“I didn’t see it, but he must have come out of the backfield,” retired Dr. Norm Hill, another Calgary star of the game who was on the field playing left end for the winning play, said from Winnipeg.

“We thought we were going to win when we got in there and we expected to win, but were fighting for our lives. We didn’t think that was necessarily going to be the winning touchdown. I’m sure glad we got it, it put our spirits up.”

Hill had scored the Stamps’ first major of the game on a 15-yard pass from Keith Spaith on a deceptive sleeper play late in the first half when he lay down on the side of the field, got up when the ball was snapped, then took the pass and crossed the line to put Calgary ahead 6-1.

He said when advised of Thodos’ passing that it was a sad day.

“He was happy-go-lucky, cheerful all the time,” said Hill. “There was always a lot of bantering going on when he was in there. He was a cheerful man, a great teammate who was much loved by all of us who played with him.”

Thodos was unofficially the Stamps’ leading rusher in that Grey Cup game, carrying five times for 54 yards, two more yards than star fullback Paul Rowe, and caught two passes for 25 yards.

His death leaves only about five members of the 1948 team: Rod Pantages in Vancouver, Norm Kwong in Calgary, Ced Gyles in Collingwood, Ont., Jim Mitchener in South Carolina and Hill.

Mimi Pantages, whose husband Rod was also a starter on the 1948 team, said the two former teammates “were just about inseparable” throughout their lives.

They both worked at a distillery in Vancouver for many years until they retired, they played handball, racquetball and golf, and the two couples regularly took holidays in Palm Springs, Calif.

Thodos also played with the Stampeders in 1949, when they repeated as western champions but lost 28-15 to the Montreal Alouettes in the national final.

He then went to play with the Alouettes for two years before returning to Calgary to play in 1952 and 1953, the latter when he was the Stamps’ leader with 10 touchdowns, 54 points, 58 receptions and 795 yards.

Thodos returned home to play with the B.C. Lions in their inaugural 1954 season, but also played that year with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He completed his nine-year career with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1955-56.

Via:  www.stampeders.com/news_blogs/news/?id=4730

Filed Under: 2012 Articles of Interest, Articles of Interest, In Memory Tagged With:

November 2, 2011: Argos Mourn Loss of Don Durno

November 2, 2011 By

TORONTO — The Toronto Argonauts Football Club is saddened to learn of the passing of former lineman Don Durno who died at the age of 92. He passed away peacefully on Saturday, October 29, 2011.

Durno played three seasons (1948-1949, 1951) for the Boatmen as both an offensive and defensive lineman. He also played five additional seasons in the CFL with Winnipeg, Montreal, Edmonton and Hamilton.  In 1942, Durno won his first Grey Cup as a member of the RCAF Hurricanes when his team defeated the RCAF Bombers of Winnipeg, 8-5. In 1943, he moved out to Winnipeg, participated in a second Grey Cup game as a member of the Blue Bombers and was named an all-star at defensive end. When he returned to Toronto in 1948 he was the Argos’ nominee for Outstanding Canadian.In 1965, Durno was appointed President of the Argos Alumni Association and served 27 years, until he stepped down in 1992.A lifelong supporter of minor football in Ontario, Durno co-founded the Ontario Football Conference in the mid 1950′s and ran the Ontario Junior Football League for 17 years (1960-1976).Durno was well-known on the field and worked tirelessly off of it as he put in countless hours with local charities throughout his lifetime. He organized more than 80 charity golf tournaments and donated both time and money to the Charlie Conacher Cancer Fund as well as the Rumball Camp for the Deaf.After raising several millions of dollars for various charitable initiatives, Durno was recognized for his charitable work by the Government of Ontario and was also honoured with a Meritorious Service Medal by the Governor General on May 30, 2005.Durno also played for the Montreal Bulldogs (IRFU), Toronto Indians (ORFU), Cleveland Browns & Chicago Rockets of the All-American Conference.Donations can be made in Don Durno’s memory to the Ontario Camp of the Deaf.November 01, 2011

Filed Under: 2011 Articles of Interest, Articles of Interest, In Memory Tagged With:

October 5, 2011: Obituary: Rough Rider legend Jim Conroy was skilled, tenacious and respected

October 5, 2011 By

OTTAWA — Back in the 1950s and 1960s, an era when seemingly every athlete had a colourful nickname, Jim Conroy was simply Mr. Conroy.

He was skilled. He was tenacious. He hit hard and he played for keeps. And he was respected.

One night in Vancouver, according to legend, the Ottawa Rough Riders were out on the town and Conroy was on an already over-crowded elevator with teammates when then Rider Angelo Mosca tried to push his way on.

Mosca was insistent, so finally Conroy, all of 6-0 and 205 pounds, stepped forward and told the 6-4, 310-pound Mosca he would have to wait for the next elevator, to which a former Rough Riders great, the late Billy Joe Booth, turned and said, “I have to take a look at this Jim Conroy.”

Not many messed with Mosca. Fewer got away with it. Conroy could, and did.

It was memories such as those that former Rough Riders mentioned Tuesday following news that Conroy, who would have turned 74 on Oct. 18, passed away Monday of an apparent heart attack at the Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre, where he had been since the onset of Alzheimer’s disease in 2006.

“He was fierce coming off the edge,” good friend and former teammate Bill Siekierski said. “Linebacker is the most difficult position to play in the Canadian game, and he was fierce coming off the corner.”

Conroy was born in Vancouver, but his family moved to Long Beach, California, when he was four.

He starred at the University of Southern California and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first draft of the upstart American Football League, but he had his eyes on Ottawa and played here from 1960 through 1967, easily converting from offence to defence.

As former Rough Riders teammate Don Gilbert put it, he and Conroy were involved in a “blockbuster” 1968 trade that sent them and two others to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for three players, including Billy Cooper and Bill Van Burkleo.

Conroy played only one season out west, his legs basically deciding that nine Canadian Football League seasons were enough, rather than his initial goal of 10, so he retired as a player and put his civil engineering degree to use with De Leuw Cather & Company of Canada Ltd. before joining the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton roads department,

After retiring from that position, he created Conroy Auto Parts Recycling and immersed himself in the business that still bears his name.

Conroy is survived by his wife, Carol, daughters Jennifer, Joan and Julie, step-daughter Debby and three brothers, all still residing in Southern California.

Plans are in the works for a memorial service to be held later in the month.

dcampbell@ottawacitizen.com

BY DON CAMPBELL, THE OTTAWA CITIZENOCTOBER 5, 2011

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/story_print.html?id=5502414&sponsor

Filed Under: 2011 Articles of Interest, Articles of Interest, In Memory Tagged With:
« Older Posts