Remembering the judge and his other court
A huge presence will be missing when the 66th Annual Welland Tribune Basketball Tournament returns to local basketball courts this week after a two-year hiatus.
Former tournament chair Lloyd Budgell died in May 2021 at the age of 84 from pancreatic cancer and he will be honoured in the event’s 2023 program.
The Grand Falls, Nfld., native had a general law practice before being appointed as a family court judge in 1970. He presided over family and youth matters for more than three decades until his retirement as Senior Justice, Ontario Court of Justice in 2006. He became the chair of the Tribune tournament in 1986 and served in that capacity until 2000. He stayed on the committee another five years until the tourney’s 50th anniversary in 2005.
“In my opinion, he never fit the stereotype of a judge,” Tribune committee member Mike Holmes said. “He liked to hang out at a local establishment and have a beverage once in awhile on a Saturday afternoon while watching some NCAA basketball.”
Holmes has fond memories of the judge.
“I first jumped on the committee in the last 1980s and the meetings he organized would be at the courthouse. He was the co-chair with Murray Mulligan and his love of basketball was immense, especially college basketball,” he said. “He was super smart and followed all levels of basketball but he was a great organizer as well. The way they ran the committee was you had your job to do and you did it. If there was an issue, you went back to them and they would give you advice. He was not outspoken but he was highly respected and always had a time for a talk.”
Budgell continued to be a presence at the event once he retired from he committee.
“He was always at the games and a huge fan of the Tribune tournament.” Holmes said.
He, Budgell and other committee members share a love for the storied tournament.
“It is the Saturday night of the first week back at school in January. On a cold winter day and seeing that packed house at Notre Dame is always special for me,” Holmes said. “I was a player, coach and I officiated at the tournament and there’s not much of a better atmosphere than a jammed Dillon Hall on Saturday night for a Trib final. It’s special.”
Budgell, who played basketball at Queen’s, was a perfect choice to serve on the committee.
“My dad was one of the biggest sports fans around, especially basketball. He started watching it as a fan and then he became an important part of the committee,” son Bob Budgell said. “He was a long-time supporter of it and he was very involved in the community.”
The judge played basketball, golf and tennis and played basketball in a men’s pickup league well into his fifties.
“He always loved watching basketball. He used to go watch Buffalo Braves games in the 1970s, There was a group of lawyers in Welland who were big basketball fans and they played on a lawyers basketball team in the Welland basketball league and they used to play at lunchtime at a church downtown,” Bob said. “He was a really big NBA/college basketball fan and he really liked watching and supporting local high school basketball.”
Bob remembers his father taking him, his brother Geoffrey and sister Janet to the games. Both brothers ended up playing for Notre Dame in the Tribune tournament and won tourney titles.
The tournament starts Wednesday. At Notre Dame, Notre Dame and Governor Simcoe will meet at 2:30 p.m. followed by Saint Paul and Saint Michael at 4 p.m. At E.L. Crossley, the host Cyclone will battle Westlane at 12:30 p.m. while Blessed Trinity and Sir Winston Churchill meet in the second game at 2 p.m. At Centennial, the host Cougars square off against A.N. Myer at 1 p.m. followed by Port High and Greater Fort Erie at 2:30 p.m. At Saint-Jean-de-Brebeuf, the host Lynx battle Eden at 3 p.m. and at 4:30 p.m., Denis Morris and Holy Cross meet.
Championship quarter-finals will be played Thursday at Notre Dame at 3:30, 5, 6:30 and 8 p.m. Consolation quarter-finals will be contested Thursday at 12:45 and 2:15 p.m. at Saint-Jean-de-Brebeuf and 3 and 4:30 p.m. at Centennial.
All the action shifts to Notre Dame on Friday and Saturday. Friday will see consolation semifinals played at 3:30 and 5 p.m. and championship semifinals staged at 6:30 and 8 p.m. The consolation final will be played 5:30 p.m. Saturday followed by the championship final at 7 p.m.
