When you utter his name most anywhere in central Newfoundland, the first response you will get is always the same.
A grin.
Ron Healey always made people smile.
Whether he was leading you into the penalty box or persuading you to buy another ticket on a car at the mall, Ron always had a lilt in his voice and a joke on his lips.
He could sense your mood by looking at you and would call you on it, especially if it wasn't a good mood.
"What's your problem today," he might comment, with a happy tone and a gruff voice. "Cheer up, b'y"
The stories he told went on for hours, but while you listened to them, time stood still. He was as masterful at storytelling as he was at calling a fair and unbiased hockey game.
He began officiating hockey innocently enough.
Joe Byrne pulled Ron out of the stands to ref a game when the fellow scheduled to wear the stripes did not show up.
Since then, Healey and refereeing were one in the same.
He was known to be tough and opinionated, but most of all, fair. Objective. A decision-maker.
And that was not only on the ice, but off it as well.
He seemed to be genuine and sincere to a fault. In a day and age where most people are more concerned with the year, make and model of their SUV than their neighbour, Ron was a role model of how to be positive and caring.
He looked at sport not as a demonstration of talent and skill, but as an important part of our culture.
He believed that every young person should have the opportunity to play, whether they had the ability to score a goal or not.
One of his stories - and there were many - related an experience he had when coaching a softball team in Bishop's Falls.
One particular girl, who admittedly was not very athletic, was put into the outfield late in a game.
It was at a point during the close match when the opposition's best hitter was soon coming to bat.
The girl's teammates begged Coach Healey to put a stronger player in the game but he refused.
When the batter hit a line drive at the girl, she lifted her glove to shield her face. The ball was planted firmly in her palm.
Her team won the game and she was the hero.
An unlikely one, but a hero nonetheless.
Much like Healey himself.
He was refined when he needed to be, but for the most part, Healey was "one of the boys."
Years of being yelled at from the stands after making a call fans didn't like had toughened Healey. He was true to himself - that seemed like enough for him.
He wasn't showy; in fact, appearances seemed not to matter at all to him.
He was trustworthy, stalwart in his allegiance to friends and quick to offer advice and support to strangers.
He knew how to accept gifts graciously and was humbled by the accolades he received.
He was funny, charming and captivating.
He loved his wife, his family and the game he was involved with for so many years.
He was a man to look up to.
And he was, to the hundreds of children he coached and mentored, to the thousands of players he officiated and the countless friends he made along the way, an unlikely hero.
Hopefully, when we think of Ron Healey he will continue to give us cause to smile.
He would not want it any other way.
David Newell
Leaving us with a smile
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Published on
January 7, 2010
- Published on June 22, 2010
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Staff ~ Advertiser
When you utter his name most anywhere in central Newfoundland, the first response you will get is always the same.
A grin.
Ron Healey always made people smile.
Whether he was leading you into the penalty box or persuading you to buy another ticket on a car at the mall, Ron always had a lilt in his voice and a joke on his lips.
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Comments
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- frank
- - June 28, 2010 at 16:19:50
Ron certainly was one in a million. I grew up through his recreational programs and his stewardship of the arena in the early to mid eighties. He was one tough leader who always had the best interest of our youth at heart.
Once playing minor softball we went on a provincial tournament IN Placentia and came out on a losing end of a 0-4 record. En route back home we diverted to Carbenear to pick up another team. Ron was with that team and as we got off the bus Ron stated in his evervesant way congratuations boys on getting the worse record of any team in Bishop's Falls history It was to the point and yet mutter in a air of you stunk lets go home to another day. His message upon timely reflection seemed to be that there is winning and losing but the main point is have you grown as individuals and as a team.
He was always direct, entertaining and always keeping an eye to the big picture. I would imagine that there are many people across Canada and around the world who's youth benefited though his hard work and expertise. Part of his legacy rest in that far reaching footprint, that has benefited other communites as well. -
- Rob
- - June 28, 2010 at 16:19:46
In the early 70's, Ron was running summer softball/soccer programs in Bishop's Falls. I played in the plant or East field. On one occasion we were to somehow get to the West field to play a game. But it would take quite a while to get 8 or 9 year olds to walk about 2 miles so Ron flagged down a dump truck and we all piled in (good thing no RCMP were around!). Somehow Ron always found a way to get things done. Thanks Ron!
P.S. We lost the game and had to walk home ... oh well. -
- Gerry
- - June 28, 2010 at 16:19:41
FYI: that story about the softball game never happened. Ron always thought it was a hoot when it was repeated to him. He loved the urban legend. Oh well.
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- Billy
- - June 28, 2010 at 16:19:14
Mr.Newell one of the funniest stories about Ron was, that he was refereeing a game and there was a face off at the home towns end of the ice, Ron said for some reason things just happen to get very quiet and he heard a female voice shout out, Ron Healey is pregnant, then another female voice shout out , how can he be pregnant...the first voice then came back and shouted he must be, he just missed the first two periods. Ron said he laughed the rest of the game and all the next week over that one.
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- frank
- - June 22, 2010 at 17:35:24
Ron certainly was one in a million. I grew up through his recreational programs and his stewardship of the arena in the early to mid eighties. He was one tough leader who always had the best interest of our youth at heart.
Once playing minor softball we went on a provincial tournament IN Placentia and came out on a losing end of a 0-4 record. En route back home we diverted to Carbenear to pick up another team. Ron was with that team and as we got off the bus Ron stated in his evervesant way congratuations boys on getting the worse record of any team in Bishop's Falls history It was to the point and yet mutter in a air of you stunk lets go home to another day. His message upon timely reflection seemed to be that there is winning and losing but the main point is have you grown as individuals and as a team.
He was always direct, entertaining and always keeping an eye to the big picture. I would imagine that there are many people across Canada and around the world who's youth benefited though his hard work and expertise. Part of his legacy rest in that far reaching footprint, that has benefited other communites as well. -
- Rob
- - June 22, 2010 at 17:35:15
In the early 70's, Ron was running summer softball/soccer programs in Bishop's Falls. I played in the plant or East field. On one occasion we were to somehow get to the West field to play a game. But it would take quite a while to get 8 or 9 year olds to walk about 2 miles so Ron flagged down a dump truck and we all piled in (good thing no RCMP were around!). Somehow Ron always found a way to get things done. Thanks Ron!
P.S. We lost the game and had to walk home ... oh well. -
- Gerry
- - June 22, 2010 at 17:35:09
FYI: that story about the softball game never happened. Ron always thought it was a hoot when it was repeated to him. He loved the urban legend. Oh well.
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- Billy
- - June 22, 2010 at 17:34:38
Mr.Newell one of the funniest stories about Ron was, that he was refereeing a game and there was a face off at the home towns end of the ice, Ron said for some reason things just happen to get very quiet and he heard a female voice shout out, Ron Healey is pregnant, then another female voice shout out , how can he be pregnant...the first voice then came back and shouted he must be, he just missed the first two periods. Ron said he laughed the rest of the game and all the next week over that one.
