McCrory’s contributions to hockey immortalized
The impact Don McCrory had on local hockey officials will not be forgotten.
Local officials made sure of that by dedicating a plaque in Mr. McCrory’s honour on Sunday morning. The plaque will be hung on the wall next to the referees’ room at the Evinrude Centre.
Mr. McCrory refereed for 34 years but his greatest impact was as an OMHA supervisor and scheduler since 2004. His greatest impact may have been in recruiting and mentoring young officials. When he lost his battle with cancer earlier this year, a month shy of his 61st birthday, it took three supervisors to assume his workload.
“I don’t think any of us realized the value Don put into officiating in bringing in and training young officials, bringing them up through the system and giving them guidance and support ,” said Jeff Char tier, referee in-chief for the Peter borough Hockey Association and Peterborough Girls Hockey Association. “We are very appreciative of Don’s efforts and the time he spent with each of us. I’m sure Don’s family can tell stories of missed dinners, phone calls, dinners that got cold or of watching TV by themselves as Don was hooked up to the arbiter or phone trying to make sure all of minor hockey had the right officials at the right rinks at the right time so the kids could play.”
Mr. McCrory, a Timmins native, came to Peterborough to teach at Grace Christian Academy where he served as principal for 13 years. He joined the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board where he taught briefly in Courtice before transferring to Lakefield District Secondary School and finishing his career at Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School.
Mr. McCrory’s family, his wife Joan, son Evan and daughter Sarah, were on hand for the dedication.
“It’s such an honour because hockey was such a big part of Don’s life,” said Joan McCrory. “He was always so happy to give back to the hockey community and to encourage young referees to consider hockey as part of their lifestyle. He would have been very humbled and surprised that he’s being honoured this way. He did it because he loved it. Not because he was looking for any type of recognition.”
She could attest to his dedication. “He was a great organizer,” she said. “It was certainly time consuming but he never felt like it was time consuming. He loved it.”