Softball

Ewart Timlin

Ewart Timlin

One could not begin to write about the history of fastball in our area without at least devoting a chapter to Ewart Timlin.

Ewart was 15-years-old when he got the tap on the shoulder to take the field for the Cold Springs Men's team and in just five years he held the dual positions of player-coach, a position he would keep for the next two decades (after which he commenced a 25-year Slo-Pitch playing career). In that time Cold Springs would emerge as a fastball powerhouse.

After spending the 1960's and early '70's as a part of the Ontario Amateur Softball Association (OASA) and the Hamilton Township League, and in search of a higher level of competition, Cold Springs petitioned to join the Peterborough City League for the 1975 season. Despite misgivings about their ability to compete, Cold Springs was reluctantly added. A subsequent first place finish in the league and the OASA Intermediate C championship put those initial doubts to rest.

The following season, 1976, saw them repeat the accomplishment and then four years later, in 1980, the “Cats” captured the Ontario Senior “A” fastball championship. Still guided by Ewart, the “Cats” took home the OASA Intermediate B championship in 1989 and then came the establishment of the Masters level by the OASA in 1996.

Over the next fifteen years the reunited “Cats” participated in more than 20 Masters events, winning 2 Canadian Masters Championships, an Eastern Canadian title, plus 3 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze, OASA Masters Championships. In addition, the “Cats” dominated the North Bay World Senior Men's Fastball Championship in their ten appearances, winning 7 gold medals, and 2 silvers.

Along with all of the team success a multitude of individual honours have been bestowed on Ewart; Cobourg Legion Giving Back Award (2012); Honorary Vice-President of the OASA (2011/12); Ontario Masters Fastball Hall of Fame Inductee (2014) and the Hamilton Township Senior Citizen of the Year (2018).

Clarke Harnden

Clarke Harnden

For over forty years Clarke Harnden was a mainstay of the Cobourg Community Hockey League!

A volunteer, a member of the executive, a tournament organizer, but to all of those who were lucky enough to know him he will always be remembered first and foremost as a coach. Clarke gave his time, his knowledge, and more often than not his patience, in teaching prospective young hockey players the fundamentals of the game. But perhaps more importantly, Clarke also passed along his passion and pure joy for the game to generations of young boys and girls in our community.

In addition to his time on the rink, Clarke also leant his coaching expertise in the summer on the diamond, coaching teams to the Tyke EOBA championship in 1970 and 1987. As a player he was a long-time fixture in the Cobourg Town League, winning a number of league batting championships as well as playing on the 1949 Dunham Aces championship team and as a member of the 1953 OASA Intermediate B Eastern Ontario Softball championship team. In 2000, Clarke began coaching in Baltimore with a dream to keep coaching until he coached his great-grandchildren … a dream that he fulfilled.

One of those countless youngsters who learned the game from Clarke was future three-time Stanley Cup Champion and longtime NHL coach Steve Smith; “Clarke truly made you feel better about yourself every time he crossed your path. I wish more people got to see just how special he was … he was the Pied Piper when he opened the doors to the old Cobourg Arena. I treasure my memories of his charismatic smile and inviting spirit that only a lifelong coach could give. His kindness, generosity, and selflessness were second to none. All these years later, I still try to emulate his patience, wisdom and knowledge with the players I am lucky enough to coach – passing on the true gift that he gave to everyone he met”.

 

 

Faye Gaudet

Faye Gaudet

In 1965, Faye Gaudet began her sporting career as the bat girl with the Coverdale Aces. The following year she began playing Fastball and has continued to be on the diamond ever since in both a player and coaching capacity.

Faye was a member of the Provincial Championship Bantam B Fastball team in 1970 and in 1975 and 1976. Faye played on the Cobourg Angels Junior B Ontario Championship Team. Running concurrently, Faye began her own Fastball coaching career, winning a Bantam B Ontario Championship in 1977, leading the same team to the Silver Medalists of the Bantam A division in 1978 and then back-to-back provincial finalists in 1979 and 1980 in the Midget division.

At the rink, Faye began playing organized hockey on a Cobourg Women's team at the age of 14. Faye joined the Rice Lake Rebels the following year and played with them until heading to Centennial College to play for the Colts. After 2 years with Centennial Faye played 4 years with Brampton Canadettes Senior team. Prior to leaving for College Faye helped to establish the first Cobourg girls hockey league, which eventually led to her coaching an all-girls team sponsored by St. Michael's Church and christened “The Flying Nuns”. Faye also served as a member of the CCHL executive for years.

Faye began refereeing in the OMHA and the OWHA while umpiring in the summer with Softball Ontario. In the late 1980's, Faye was part of the organizing committee for the Cobourg Jr. Angels. Faye continued to coach a Jr. Angels team. In 2000 Faye again coached a Jr. Angels team to the Bantam Tier II PWSA Ontario Championship.

Those years also saw Faye coach boys teams for the Cobourg Legion. Faye has served on the executive board of both Cobourg Legion Minor Softball and Cobourg Baseball Association at the same time coaching her two sons in baseball and hockey. Faye returned to the Cobourg Junior organization to coach in 2003 and has been with the organization ever since in both a coaching and executive capacity. In 2017 her Novice team won the Eastern Canadian Fastball Championship. Faye also volunteered her time coaching Basketball teams in the Cobourg Youth Basketball League from 2004 to 2007.

 

 

Don Ball Sr

Don Ball Sr

Many athletes can point to a great game, some to an exceptional season, and a precious few to a great career; but not many athletes can match the longevity of Don Ball Sr. … Football, Hockey, Fastball, Basketball … Don Ball Sr. played them all, at an extremely high level, and won countless championships along the way.

The Left End on the legendary Cobourg Galloping Ghosts Football Team that won the Canadian Intermediate “A” Championship in 1948, Don also was the guard on the Cobourg High School Basketball team that won the Queens University High School Invitational in 1946 and 1947. It was at the hockey rink and on the ball diamond that Don made his most lasting impact. A forward, Don enjoyed a 24-year career on the ice, mostly spent in the Cobourg Mercantile League. Don was renowned for his agelessness and his sportsmanship.

In recognition, the Cobourg Mercantile League annually presented the Don Ball Trophy to the least penalized team in the circuit and in 1971, Don was awarded the Percy Baker Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship and ability. On the diamond, Don spent an incredible 37 years as a player, predominantly in the Hamilton Township and Cobourg Mercantile Fastball Leagues. Lovingly referred to as “The Grand Old Man” and “Softball's Gordie Howe”, Don was also the last of the conventional underhanded pitchers in the area, a style of delivery that often befuddled opposing batters.

Approaching 50-years-old, Don was still able to routinely throw perfect innings, while also pacing his team, the Baltimore Merchants, at the plate; an achievement not lost on Layton Dodge. “Just when it seems the sports world is peopled exclusively with cynics and complacent athletes for whom such words as “loyalty” and “the love of the game” are alien, along comes a remarkable individual like Don Ball to restore faith in humanity. That there are such gentlemen on our playing fields is comfort enough; that Don Ball should be still there at age 49 when he should be reaching for the pipe and slippers instead of a Louisville Slugger or a Cooper glove is an unexpected bonus.”

 

Softball-Jim Morrow

Jim Morrow

 

 

JIM MORROW: LARGER THAN LIFE SPORTS FIGURE

 

There has been an extensive amount written about the impressive success of The Cobourg Angels organization. Teaching, practicing, organizing, high expectations and the capacity to attract talent are all factors that have been highlighted in the substantial historical record preserved by the Cobourg and District Sports Hall of Fame.

 

During my years with the Senior Angels, I was fortunate to witness all of those factors at play. Yet, my experience tells me that one element has received less attention because it is very difficult to measure. Of the many outstanding athletes, builders and coaches from the past and present in the area, I only recall a few individuals that outwardly projected an animated love of the game and the sheer joy of being immersed in the competitive moment.

 

If you followed Major League Baseball in the 1960’s, you would recall how Willie Mays and Ernie Banks projected a radiant joy and enthusiasm for the game. In the current era, Blue Jays George Springer and Vladi Guerrero project a similar energy. Local outstanding athletes that had similar qualities would be Margie Matthews, Jim Bradford, Ewart Timlin and Ross Quigley.

 

Most of the Angels players of the Paul Currelly era, fondly remember Jim Morrow’s influence. Jim consistently provided encouragement, good humour and friendship to players, coaches and supporters alike. I believe that Jim had a huge impact upon the year-to-year loyalty and commitment of the players. The team environment was happy and easygoing until the first pitch. Their cohesiveness allowed the team to maximize their talent and sustain a rare level of excellence throughout the years that Mr. Morrow was associated with the Paul Currelly Angels.

 

It is also my impression that Jim’s out sized personality overshadowed the fact that he was an absolutely outstanding athlete in his own right and his accomplishments in and around the Hastings and Peterborough area are significant but less well known even to many of the Angels players he coached.

 

So how did Jim Morrow, a first-rate athlete, become such a significant and long-term contributor to the Paul Currelly Angels? The explanation begins with Jim’s formative years in and around Hastings, Ontario.

 

As Jim never spoke much about himself beyond family members and close friends, he perhaps left the impression with us that enthusiasm was his only strength. As a youth in the 1950’s, it became evident that Jim Morrow was a highly talented athlete. Hockey and fast pitch softball, as it was for most male athletes of the era, were Jim’s main athletic pursuits.

 

During his teenage years, Jim was the captain of the 1948-1949 provincial champion Hastings Midget hockey team and he followed up in 1949 as a major contributor to the local fast pitch Junior provincial championship team. It soon became evident that Jim’s talents and successes would lead to expanded opportunities in nearby Peterborough. As his local nickname suggested (later to be revealed), he brought a rare talent to the Peterborough fastball league.

 

During the 1950’s, Jim played Junior hockey with Peterborough and was a fixture as a player in the first rate Peterborough City Softball League. This league played its games at the East City Bowl (a softball facility that was constructed in a natural amphitheatre beside the Otonobee River). The unique facility soon became a hub that attracted some of the very best fast pitch softball players in Ontario and beyond. Pitching was elite during this era.

 

One of Jim’s favourite stories from his playing days in Peterborough was his fence clearing homer off of legendary hurler and American Mormon missionary Ray Judd. This was a very rare accomplishment as Judd only had apparently one recorded loss during his 5 year local tenure.

 

Unofficially, the league was such a good draw, that fans gathered in very large numbers sometimes exceeding a thousand fans for highly anticipated games. During an interview with the Peterborough Examiner well after his retirement, Judd said that for some games, fans climbed the trees lining one side of field while others climbed to the rooftop of the adjacent Quaker Oats building on Hunter Street.

 

Jim Morrow’s career in the league spanned the late 1940’s into the mid 1950’s. Many in the Peterborough area that attended games as players, officials and fans returned to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the league. After a stellar career south of the border and internationally, Judd returned for the festivities as did many of his contemporaries.

 

Jim Morrow belonged in very esteemed company indeed and given his warm and outgoing personality, his family agreed that he would have been in his glory during the celebration. Jim passed a year prior to the event.

 

Later on, after Jim ended his playing career, he shifted his focus to coaching in the Hastings area and directed an OASA Intermediate team to a provincial championship. The accomplishment foreshadowed what was to be his most successful coaching stint of his fine career.

 

The development of a young player often rests upon natural talents, early coaching and parent encouragement. Jim and Marg Morrow’s daughter Su had benefited from all of these advantages and when it became evident that she was an outstanding fastball talent in her own right, she joined the Angels as a teenager and predictably Mom and Dad came too and eventually took up residence in Cobourg.

 

Most local sports fans would agree that very little ever escaped Paul Currelly’s eye when it came to talent. Currelly found a gem in Jim Morrow! In very short order, Jim became the Angels’ first base coach and formed an enduring on field partnership with Paul. Over the years, a very close friendship also emerged between Paul and Marian Currelly and Jim and Marg Morrow.

 

I want to leave the anecdotes and stories for the former players to tell. For me, I often remember the times when Jim would roll up to our house and take my 2–3-year-old son for a ride in his transport truck. While not anything to do with fastball, it was everything to do with kindness and generosity. A big truck rolled in but it was a giant of a man who drove it.

John Hayden Sr.

ADDENDUM:

Jim Morrow Memoirs

Margie Matthews:

When I think of what Jim Morrow meant to our Angel softball teams, the first two words that come to mind are dedication and support.
He was all about 'team'. Depending on where our games would be, he would sometimes show up in his truck tractor. He always wanted the players to succeed. His enthusiasm with his big personality and fun nature made him and Paul Currelly a magnificent coaching match.

Fond memories indeed of Jim 'Long-Ball' Morrow.

 

Nancy Cronin:

Jim Morrow or Jim Bob as I liked to call him was a special man and great coach of the Cobourg Angels. It is really hard to come up with a few words to describe the impact he had on me as a ball player and as a person. For a kid from Belleville who had an opportunity to experience the culture of the Angels that he and Mr. Currelly nurtured was life changing for me.

It was so evident from my first season with the Angels that Jim loved life, loved Margaret and his kids and his other family the Angels. His dedication to the team was unwavering. On a number of occasions he would pull up to the diamond in his transport truck in the middle of a delivery run.  I remember the first time I witnessed this and I was totally blown away. 

If I had to name Jim's best qualities I would say hard work, loyalty and his sense of humor.  He incorporated all of these qualities into his coaching style. I like to think that he helped to instill those same qualities in me as a person.

Nancy Cronin Angels 1980-1991

 

Jennifer (Dalgarno) Ashley:

It’s impossible to think of Mr. Morrow without a big smile coming to my face. He was such a breath of fresh air to be around. When coaching, he was always very helpful and positive and made everyone feel like they mattered. His fun-loving sense of humour helped to bring the team together and build team chemistry. He constantly had us in stitches. His knowledge of the game and his coaching expertise made us all better players. I will always cherish the many years I was able to spend playing for Jim Morrow and Paul Currelly.

Jen (Dalgarno) Ashley, Cobourg Angels 1989-1990

 

Jackie Dusenbury:

Mr. Morrow was one big kid!  And that’s one of many reasons why we loved him.

He made coming to the ball park fun. He always had a smile on his face, except when he was yelling at his daughter Su! Ha! He was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and cared about his players to the point that he would play caps with them at tournaments! Lol

He was the type of coach that you would do anything for because you wanted to win so badly for him…. He was a one of a kind😊

 

Nancy Jane Dalgarno:

Mr. Morrow helped raise me and for that I am so very grateful. As a player on the Cobourg Angels, I spent many years being coached by him both on and off the field. He helped instill in me a moral compass that included respect, humility, teamwork, and a love of life which continues to guide me in all I do. I look back on my Cobourg Angel’s days with such love, fondness, and always with a smile. I feel privileged to have been able to spend my youth and early adulthood with my Angel family and to be a part of the amazing (and sometime crazy) experiences we had with Mr. Morrow. He was a truly wonderful coach and friend—one who always made me laugh while encouraging me work hard. To this day, I consider Mr. Morrow one of the most influential people in my life.

 

Patsy Currelly Hand:

It is an honour to add to my reflections of Jim Morrow or as I called him, Mr. Morrow. 

I first met Mr. Morrow when he came to his daughter Suzanne’s first game with the Cobourg Angels (1977) in Trenton.  He started the year as a parent and by the end of the year had a spot on the bench as assistant coach.  He was a wonderful addition to our team not only because of his knowledge of the game but because of his larger-than-life personality.  Over the years, we would learn about his own athletic abilities in both Hockey and Softball.  As the story goes, while playing softball in Hastings he was known to hit many out of the park home runs earning him the title of “Long Ball Morrow”. 

 Mr. Morrow lived life to the fullest! He was committed and dedicated to our team, to his family and to his job.  His voracious laugh could be heard anywhere on the diamond and his personality uplifted and melded our team into a family.  Now, on the other side of this joyous, wonderful man was the ferocious intensity that would sometimes be directed at the umpires (On more than one occasion, he was tossed from the game).  This intensity was of course justifiably supported by his fellow coaches and his players.  As a player, having your coaches stand up for you in this matter made you feel respected and protected and again, reinforced the feeling of family. 

Mr. Morrow drove transport for a living.  His route was from Toronto to Ottawa.  I distinctly remember walking with him after a game at Victoria Park to where the Y is now, to his truck that was parked and still running (to keep his load cool).  He had timed it so that he could stop on route to come coach the game and then continue to his destination.  I was stunned to think that he had so many more hours of work ahead of him. 

 

Dedication, Commitment.   In those days the truckers would be on their CB radios and he told me that after a game, he would get on the radio and transmit how the Angels had done.   His trucker buddies would enquire about the games and Mr. Morrow could go on for hours about his beloved Angels.   He said, “Everyone knows about the Angels”. 

Mr. Morrow was One-of-a-Kind.  He was a second father to many of his players.  His personality complimented my dad’s and they not only had a very successful team, they just enjoyed being around each other, on and off the field.  During the off-season once the Morrows were back from the Cottage, every Saturday night would be spent together watching the Leafs and enjoying treats made by the wives.  They travelled together to both coasts in Canada, seeing the sights and of course watching a few amateur ball games! 

Their friendship and the cohesiveness of their qualities, established the foundation for the success of the Cobourg Angels.

 

 

 

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Ann & Dick Raymond

Raymonds-heads

Ann & Dick Raymond

Dick and Ann Raymond have devoted a considerable amount of their lives to fulfilling a single desire, to make their beloved Grafton a better place and as a result of their tireless work and organizational skill they have forever changed, and enhanced, their community. Dick Raymond’s lifetime of volunteerism can be traced back to 1962, when as a 19-year-old, and still not old enough to drive, he started coaching a team in the Cobourg Community Hockey League (CCHL). As a coach, Dick would lead three teams to provincial hockey championships, in addition to a Provincial Women’s Softball Association (PWSA) Bronze Medal with the Cobourg Bantam Angels in 1989. But it is as an organizer and administrator that Dick has had the largest impact. In addition, to a five-decade long tenure with Grafton Minor Hockey, which saw him at various times serve as the organization’s President, Vice-President, past President, coach, equipment manager, bingo organizer, fundraiser, etc.., Dick was one of the founders and lead organizer for the Grafton Fastball Tournament for its four-decade long existence, while also serving on the Grafton Arena recreation committee for forty years, thirty-five of which saw him operate the Grafton canteen. And then there was all the hours put in to construct the Grafton facility itself, 5 ball diamonds, all the backstops, the scoreboard, fencing the diamonds, the playground, score keepers’ benches, etc. all bear the handprint of Dick Raymond. But Dick was never alone in his efforts, in fact he represented one-half of a formidable team. Every step of the way, at every event, every fundraiser, was Dick’s wife Ann. A true team, Dick and Ann would not only work together, but complement each other, so while Dick was organizing, it was Ann placing the calls and answering the phone. Despite both holding full-time jobs, and raising a family, and despite being tired most nights, both Dick and Ann Raymond always found the energy and the time to give of themselves for the greater good of their community and the people of Grafton.

Elaine Devlin

Elaine Devlin

Elaine Devlin

Born in Indian River on July 27, 1964, Elaine Devlin resided in Cobourg, Colborne, and Grafton for a decade and has maintained her athletic connections to our community ever since. Before moving to our area Elaine had already established herself athletically as an all-star goalie and a member of numerous OWHA (Ontario Women’s Hockey Association) gold medal teams and as one of the best softball pitchers in the province winning ORSA (Ontario Rural Softball Association) Midget and Junior provincial titles in 1981, 1982 and 1983 with Douro and Keene; two OCAA (Ontario Colleges Athletic Association) Silver Medal’s with Fleming College and numerous Peterborough Women’s City League titles. In 1985 she attended Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas on a scholarship where she played in the NCAA softball circuit. Still the holder of seven school records she was Gulf Star Conference Female Athlete of the Year; Most Outstanding Player and won a Conference Championship. Recruited to play for the Cobourg Angels, by Paul Currelly in 1984, over the next five years Elaine and her teammates medaled 9 times at the provincials, including three golds, a period of sustained excellence that was due in large part to Elaine’s pitching prowess, which didn’t go unrecognized by the opposition as she was recruited by other teams 3 different times to represent Ontario at the Canadian Championships. Since her time playing in Cobourg, Elaine has continued to contribute to the sport by coaching and attending pitching clinics during the off-season to help the next generation of hurlers hone their techniques. It would be hard to imagine an honour, accomplishment in Softball that has eluded Elaine. Beyond pitching a countless number of no-hitters and perfect games, Elaine Devlin has competed in a total of 34 Provincial championships (14 gold, 12 silver, 4 bronze), 17 Canadian championships (4 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze), and at least 5 World Championship/International competitions (1 gold, 1 bronze) and has coached at 20 Provincial championships (5 gold, 2 silver, 5 bronze), 12 Canadian championships (2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) and 3 World Championship/International competitions, winning gold each time.

Team or Principal Name

Roger Cole

Roger Cole head

Roger Cole

Referred to by no less an authority than Layton Dodge as “the finest softball pitcher between Oshawa and Kingston”, Roger Cole’s quarter-century career was marked by continued excellence, countless awards, and a right arm that never seemed to grow tired. Born in Cobourg on July 27, 1954, Roger Cole’s pitching career began in the Plainville Township League in 1965. Over the course of the next four-plus decades an almost uncountable number of accolades and awards came his way including 15 OASA medals (including 9 Golds), 2 Perfect Games, at least 10 (maybe 12) No-Hitters, multiple MVP and Top Pitcher awards in both the Cobourg Men’s Softball League and the Hamilton Township Men’s Softball League, and countless league, Provincial, Canadian, and World Championships, mostly with the Cold Springs Cats. In 2003, Roger was given the Milestone Award, after recording a total of 2059 career strikeouts in the Cobourg Men’s Softball League, a testimony to his talent and his stamina. But that only tells part of the story. Simply put, to see Roger Cole pitch was an “event” - one that drew both admirers and the curious from far around just to see him throw, and to bear witness to a continuous parade of overmatched hitters try to make contact, and at times a befuddled catcher attempt to catch, Roger’s famed “drop ball”. But beyond his own personal and team accomplishments Roger was a strong believer in the Cobourg Men’s Softball League, often taking younger players onto his team, encouraging them, and giving them a place to play when other teams wouldn’t. Those teams were often more concerned with winning that season’s league championship, whereas Roger was more concerned with the long-term health of the league itself, even if it came at his team’s own expense. This nurturing of younger players, and personal sacrifice for the league was recognized in 2006 when Roger Cole was the recipient of the Dedication Award by the Cobourg Men’s Softball League.

Team or Principal Name

Allan Burnham

Al Burnham

Al Burnham

Born on August 31, 1952 in Cobourg and raised on the Burnham Family Farm, like many children of the time, Al Burnham was first introduced to bat and ball in elementary school during the recesses and lunch hour that helped break up the day. Coincidentally, the Cobourg Legion Minor Softball Association was formed in the late 1950’s, and Al was part of that first group of youngsters who signed up. And thus began a two decade long playing career that saw Al Burnham become one of the top Fastball players; in the area, in the province, in Canada, and ultimately, in the world. A member of the Cobourg Juveniles that captured the Ontario “B” Championship in 1971, Al, now playing with the legendary Cold Springs Cats, would be part of three more provincial championship teams, OASA Intermediate C titles in 1975 and 1976, and in 1980 an Ontario Senior A fastball championship. Thanks to his proficiency at the plate Al quickly gained a reputation from teammate and opponent alike as a clutch hitter, and when combined with his understated demeanor, he was christened with the nickname “The Iceman”. From 1984 to 1992, Al Burnham was an integral part of five more Senior “A” Ontario championship teams, 4 Canadian Senior A championship teams, and in 1987 and 1988 he was named to the All-World second team both years at the International Softball Congress championship. At the 1991 ISC championship, held in Sioux City, Iowa, and playing for Owen Sound, the World Championship runner-up, Al Burnham was named All-World first team … the culmination of a lifetime spent on the diamond all the way from Cobourg to the World Championship.

Team or Principal Name

Ross Quigley

Ross Quigley head

Ross Quigley

No one ever loved Cobourg – it’s people, its history, and the community itself – more than Ross Quigley. A lifelong Cobourg resident, born in 1944, Ross quickly developed the passions that would stay with him throughout his life, first as a player and soon branching out to coaching and refereeing. Concurrently, Ross also began a life a giving back to his beloved hometown, starting in his teenage days while working at Sommerville’s Sporting Goods when on Christmas Eve he would dress up as Santa Claus and personally give out gifts to children … to his later tenure as the President of Legion Softball, as well as his organizing the annual All-Summer Sports Parade, a summertime affair which at one time spotlighted each of the local softball/baseball/soccer teams. Ross also was long involved with many local organizations where he helped to push through countless enhancements to our town’s community. Starting with a desire to preserve the sporting history of the town, Ross began the process of what would eventually lead to the establishment of the Cobourg and District Sports Hall of Fame in 2016. While not the sole person involved, Ross was the driving force behind the idea, the creation, and finally, the establishment of the Hall, behind the scenes and also as both the public face and most enthusiastic supporter. And it is through these efforts that Ross has made an invaluable historical contribution to our town by bringing the sporting history of Cobourg out of the past and preserving it for future generations, through his discovery of long lost sporting events, or in gathering artifacts, to most notably shining a renewed spotlight on the builders and the athletes who through the passage of time slowly receded from active memory only to have Ross, through his tireless work and commitment, bring them back to the prominence and the local understanding that they so richly deserve. In 2021, Ross Quigley was recognized at the annual Cobourg Civic Awards ceremony as the recipient of The Angus and Bernice Read Volunteer Award, which is given to an individual whose volunteerism, leadership, commitment and actions have improved the quality of life for a large spectrum of the population in Cobourg.

 

Team or Principal Name