Manasterskys honour talented patriarch
Some people are talented enough to play one professional sport but rare is the athlete good enough to play two. Timothy (Tommy) Manastersky was one of those rare athletes, the Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders — minus the bling and bravado — of his time.
Manastersky played professional football and hockey in the late 1940s and early 1950s. At the tender age of 17, he joined the Montreal Alouettes right out of high school. He played six seasons and 68 regular-season games for his hometown Als.
In1949, he helped the Alouettes win the Grey Cup. When football was over, he hit the ice as a defenceman and got a call-up from the Montreal Canadiens in 1950-51.
With the Habs, he played six games, recording no points but registering 11 minutes in penalties. Manastersky’s son Tony recalls that his dad’s defence partner was Hall of Famer Doug Harvey. On one occasion, his father accidentally put the puck into their own net, and Harvey told him “Don’t worry, I’ll take the blame.”
In football, the five-foot-nine, 185pound athlete returned kicks and lined up at halfback.
He finished his hockey career in 1950-51. And after experiencing back problems, his CFL career ended in 1954 with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Born in 1929 to parents of Polish descent, Manastersky grew up in Montreal and became a provincial high school champion in swimming, track, wrestling and diving. He also was an accomplished baseball player, his son says.
“He believed he had athletic gifts that many did not have, so he was always modest about his success,” Tony says.
He didn’t know what football was until he got to high school. The coach took one look at him and said, “Hey, you, do you want to play football? Meet me outside after.”
“My dad saw guys running around and smashing into each other and he said, ‘That’s for me,’ ” Tony recalled.
Playing both sports meant he was in shape all year. “My dad showed up to the Canadiens without an ounce of fat on him, and at the time he didn’t drink or smoke,” his son says, adding that later in life he could be seen puffing on a cigar.
His father went on to have a successful career as a salesman, principally in the toy business. He passed away in 2012 four days after his 83rd birthday following a lengthy illness.
Tony, now a banking executive, followed in his father’s footsteps by playing halfback in football and on the blue line at Queen’s University.
“I wasn’t quite the athlete my dad was,” Tony says. He was good enough to help Queen’s win the Vanier Cup national football championship in 1978.
Tony’s widow, Carol, 81, remains active playing tennis. She and Tom raised four sons — Tim, 63, Tony 59, Larry, 57, and Bill, 53. There are seven grandchildren in the extended family.
Tony likes to keep his father’s name GOAL: $1.7 million To date: $1,074,483 To donate: For secure online donations, please go to thestar.com/santaclausfund Visa, Amex, Discover and MasterCard: Dial 416-869-4847. Cheques: Please send to The Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund, 1 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M5E 1E6. The Star does not allow anyone to solicit on its behalf. Tax receipts will be issued. alive and helping others by contributing to the Proudfoot Corner in memory of former Star sports columnist Jim Proudfoot.
Donors to the Corner — the Sports department’s contribution to the Star’s Santa Claus Fund — are recognized in our pages, with thanks.
Donations help fund 45,000 gift boxes, each containing a cozy hat, mittens, socks and warm shirt, as well as a book, toy and candy for underprivileged children across Greater Toronto. On the Corner: Pride of place goes to Ray Zucchiatti of Toronto, whose year-over-year performance is something to behold. He tacked another $100 on to this year’s donation, putting him at $1,200. Quite impressive, but our long roster of donors this week will prove that every little bit helps.
In the hockey community, Sallie and Brian O’Rourke of Tillsonburg sent us $100 in honour of Billy Doyle, who died this past year. Doyle, a memorable comedian and raconteur, refereed in many Ontario hockey leagues during his lifetime and, say the O’Rourkes, “was as Irish as Paddy’s Pig.” Another crisp Borden slid in from Jim Dadson of the Thursday Night Writeoffs Hockey Group in memory of friends Jeff Maybee and Bernie Dunn. And to finish the hat trick are Ross and Karen Mason of North York, who are honouring the Vancouver Canucks with their $500 contribution. They’re “dyed-in-the-wool” Buds fans but the left coasters won their respect for waiving their Nov. 11practice to attend the Remembrance Day Service at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.
We’re moving from the ice to the links for Worden Teasdale of Etobicoke’s $200, sent in memory of golfing mentors and friends Al Balding and Eric Hanson.
From within the Star family, we have hockey writer Kevin McGran with $100. And recent departure from the Star, prolific all-around sportswriter Chris Zelkovich of Mississauga sent us another $100. With $250 is former Star editor John King. $50 came from former staffer David Dunn of Toronto and another C-note came from retired platemaker Ronald Deline of Markham. Barbara and Duncan Towe of Markham contributed $250 for the little ones. Barbara, who worked in the Syndicate department, says “Christmas is officially here” when she makes her donation. Her parents donated to the Corner before she joined the Star, and she’s taken up the mantle in their memory. Ella Starkman-Hynes of Toronto’s $250 came in memory of her departed dad, legendary Star amateur sports writer Randy Starkman. And Michael Whittingham of Willowdale’s $400 came in memory of Jim Proudfoot.
Donors like to honour their many kids and grandkids with clever sums. On behalf of their three kids Adam, Andrew, and Lauren, Brian and Diane Deegan sent in $333 from Mississauga. And out of Oshawa, Alan and Eleanor Cawker sent $200 “to bring a little joy into the lives of those less fortunate” in honour of their 20 grandchildren.
Grown-up kids repay the gesture to their late parents: Lorne Glass of Toronto enclosed a cheque for $180 in memory of his mom and dad. Glass’s dad gave him a news tip we approve of: Tackle the sports section first.