Ron Castelane

These last few weeks prompted me to reflect on my life and to be full of gratitude.

I was thankful that my parents moved from the ghettos of downtown Winnipeg to Norwood, a block from the Falcon Hockey Rink (first I ever saw) and the St. Boniface Golf Club. This started me on my paths in hockey and golf. Throughout my boyhood, my only sibling, Ernie (deceased), and I loved and lived the life of a Tom Sawyer; experiencing adventures on the Seine River, at the rink and when sneaking onto the golf course. What a fun childhood! Our brotherly relationship continued and expanded to include Ernie's family; wife Pickles (deceased) and daughters, Linda, Deborah and Janine (Mark) and her sons, Caelan and Braedan.

I loved sports, but my early passion was hockey. I still can't believe that, in junior hockey, I scored 55 goals in 60 games - wow! I was fortunate to play hockey for a living and was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens and, later, the Boston Bruins. One of the most memorable moments was winning the Allan Cup in 1964 in Czechoslovakia with the Winnipeg Maroons. I played recreationally into my late 70s with the Manitoba Jets Old-timers and the Winnipeg Steelers. I was most humbled to be inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999. But, the best part of all was the bonds that were formed between us players - irreplaceable!

Oh, how I'll miss golf! The friendships that I made along the way were priceless. I loved my home club, Niakwa, where I started out as an Assistant Pro at the age of 17. Now, that was a lot of games played! I had six holes in one (three at Niakwa), received the Order of Sport Excellence in 1987 and represented Manitoba on the Senior Golf Team for several years.

I just celebrated 40 years in real estate, most of them with Century 21 Bachman & Associates. The highlight was working alongside my son, Cole, and, more recently, my daughter, Susan, and grandson, Brett. Nothing beats working with family!

To my brothers at the Knights of Columbus, Bishop Grandin Council, and Father Mark and his parishioners at the St. Vital Parish, where I was privileged to volunteer my time, I say, "keep up the good fight making a difference in lives".

Most importantly, my wonderful wife, Pat (deceased), blessed me with four amazing children: Karen (Dan), Cole (Carla), Susan (George) and Mark (Olana), who have made me so very proud. I have enjoyed watching my grandchildren: Jillian (Sam), Joey, Brett, Max, Quinn and Sydney grow into impressive young adults. The generosity of time and spirit cannot be measured and I thank my family for loving and caring for me 24/7 in my last weeks.

A celebration of my life will be held at the Niakwa Golf and Country Club on Wednesday, June 27 beginning at 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.

A special thank you to Dr. Shawn Thomas and the Palliative Care Unit at the St. Boniface Hospital for their compassion and support.

Donations can be made in my memory to Harmony Place Support Services http://www.harmonyplace.on.ca/donate-now/ or 416-510-3114, a special needs day program that my grandson, Max, attends.

Life is precious and way too short to be wasted, so enjoy and respect it, and, most importantly, take care of each other. So with that I say to all my family and friends "Ta Ta for now".