Sunday, May 05, 2013
Unsung Heroes
Ron Genereaux-Making a Point
All communities,
everywhere, have unsung heroes. They are the people who do things, unselfishly,
day after day, for the good of the community. It is a good thing that these
people exist; otherwise, the community would not benefit from their efforts.
There are times when the work of these people is recognized; there are more
times when their efforts go practically unnoticed.
Many of these people
do not need recognition for the work they do. Prince Edward
County
For almost
twenty-five years, he dedicated many winter hours as a hockey coach in The
County. There are countless other individuals who do the same thing, year after
year. They are also on my list of unsung heroes, no matter what their motives
may be. Initially, Ron coached because
his son needed a coach for his team. That is a natural connection, and takes
place year after year at the rink, on the field. In Ron’s case, his dedication
continued long after his son had finished playing.
Ron’s best friend,
and coaching partner, was Rick MacDonald. The pair of them worked the benches
in and around these parts for years. “Ron always had the defense, and I coached
the forwards,” McDonald told me last week. “At the rink, there was never any question
about any of my decisions as a coach. But once we were in the car, no more than
fifty feet from the arena door, he would let me have it for something I had
done. And I usually deserved it.”
For many years, Ron
stood at the rail, at centre ice, above the seats in the Old DukeDome. His
distinctive voice carried throughout the building, especially when he targeted
an opposition coach who deserved his wrath. Those were the days when arenas
were silent during stoppages in play, when there were no blaring rap tunes
before faceoffs. Ron would unload on a coach, usually from Kingston or Toronto,
with a tirade that always hit the mark. He knew he had accomplished his goal
when the coach would holler back at him, sometimes asking him to step outside!
MacDonald told me
that Genereaux always was the driver when there were “away” games. The reason,
I enquired? “The rule was, whoever drove controlled the radio. He wanted to
listen to his music: blues, and heavy metal, plenty of Neil Young. He would not
take a dime for gas. My only contribution was to supply the Tim Hortons’
coffee. In those days, Ron coached three teams: one travel team, and two house
league teams.”
Genereaux was a huge
Bruins fan, and was excited about the 20013 playoff between the Bruins and the
Leafs. His interest was kindled in the days of Bobby Orr and Derek Sanderson,
but his personal favourite was Ray Bourque. His favourite baseball player,
without question, was Rickey Henderson
Ron dedicated himself
to his life’s profession, and served his community as an employee of the
Children’s Aid Society. MacDonald told me that there were several times during
a game when Ron would receive a text message from one of his former clients,
and he would act upon it immediately. It might mean driving to Ottawa
I suppose it was
Ron’s way of giving back, here and there. Not well known was the fact that Ron
had been raised in many homes as a foster child.
Ron will be missed by
his wife Susan, his two children Marisa and Adrian, and three grandchildren. He
also leaves behind an extensive Star Wars collection. Wherever you are, Ronnie
G., “May the force be with you”.
James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
# posted by James Hurst @ 9:35 AM 
