Barry Murphy remembered as reliable volunteer
Barry Murphy, long time volunteer with the St. Catharines Rankin Construction Falcons and St. Catharines WMKL Athletics. Photo: BRUCE IDESON.
The arena was Barry Murphy’s home away from home.
Chances are if you attended a St. Catharines Rankin Construction Falcons, St. Catharines WMKL Athletics or St. Catharines Junior B lacrosse game in the last couple of decades and bought an 50/50 ticket, it was off of Murphy.
The St. Catharines native, who passed away last October just weeks shy of his 71st birthday, is being remembered as a loyal, hard working and, above all else, reliable volunteer who could be counted on week after week, year after year, to lend a hand.
“He never missed anything,” A’s president Paul Coates said. “Even after this past summer when he wasn’t in great shape, he still showed up at the games to do our 50-50. He and Tim Pedwell were like Mutt and Jeff and they worked well together.
“He always had a smile on his face, recognized lots of people, and was always prepared to show up and do his job and was a phenomenal volunteer for many years for the Athletics.”
Coates said Murphy also helped out the A’s on their bingo fundraising nights.
“He was always dependable about being able to fill in and both 50-50 and bingo are important revenues for us and keeping those two fundraisers alive,” Coates said.
Murphy didn’t let losing a leg due to diabetes prevent him from volunteering.
“He lost his right leg and of course he couldn’t drive so he got hand controls,” said John Howe of the St. Catharines Old Boys Lacrosse Association. “This guy would never say no. He was a volunteer of all volunteers and he did this with one leg.”
Falcons president Jim McConnell said Murphy did it all for the Falcons and the A’s.
“Barry was a tireless director and volunteer for us for almost 25 years,” McConnell said. “He never said no to helping out with either us or the A’s. He would always tell me how bored he would get when there was a gap between our season ending and the A’s starting up. He pretty much did every position over the years for us, at different times. He ran the Nest at the Jack, the box office, 50/50 (Falcons and IceDog games), bingos and many team functions.
“Everyone knew Murph in the hockey and lacrosse world. He had a gruff exterior but had a great sense of humour and loved to laugh when you got to know him. He especially loved going to Scorecard Harry’s after every Falcons game on Friday nights to eat pizza and wings with the gang there.”
Family and friends will have a two opportunities to fete Murphy — Monday, Jan. 27 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Ivan’s Bar, 7188 Dorchester Rd., Niagara Falls, and Saturday, Feb. 1 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Scorecard Harry’s, 17 Lock St., St. Catharines.
Bob McLaren, who worked with Murphy with both the Falcons and A’s, organized the party at Ivan’s.
“So Barry has been with our family since, oh my God, I can’t even think of when I’d never seen him,” McLaren said. “To my children and to many people in our family, he’s Uncle Murph.”
Murphy’s health declined in recent years and he eventually had his second leg amputated.
“And even at the end, you know, he had a good frame of mind,” Howe remembered. “He was basically in a wheelchair because he lost his other leg but he had a good frame of mind.”
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