John Forbes made local hockey better for so many

By Mark Ribble

LEAMINGTON — To say John Forbes was Mr. Hockey around Leamington would probably be an understatement.

A regular fixture in the Leamington and later Southpoint Minor Hockey equipment rooms, John was staunchly protective of the gear owned by the organization he belonged to for over 40 years.

In the late 1970s or early 1980s, John Forbes took over the small, cramped equipment room at the old Leamington Arena, handing out vintage goalie pads and anything else the kids needed to play the game.

John spent countless hours at the old arena and then, when the new arena was built, he was instrumental in ensuring that the new equipment room was set up just the way he wanted.

John watched over the minor hockey assets like a sentry watching for unauthorized intruders on the front lines.

Long-time sponsors like Jackson’s China, Leamington Legion, Bennie Lumber and Fox Ready Mix were all kept in the loop of supporters because of John Forbes.

His waiting list for sponsors was a mile long, with new businesses wanting to be a part of the minor hockey mix — a true throwback to minor hockey’s early days.

John was proud of that list and equally proud of how many years he could squeeze out of a set of hockey jerseys.

His efforts in that equipment room saved the organization thousands of dollars over the years, and in turn, kept hockey reasonable for the youngsters who wanted to learn the game.

He could sometimes be short with adults asking questions that he thought were unnecessary, but you immediately knew where you stood with John.

No phoney smiles or glad-handing came from John Forbes. He was as honest as they come.

John would often say that he didn’t care much for some of the adults, but never met a kid he didn’t like. He was instrumental in helping get the girls hockey program off the ground when it began.

JOHN FORBES

John’s eyes would light up when a young hockey player would come in to be fitted for goalie equipment. He was truly in his element.

John was also the quintessential family man. He and his wife Ida raised two children, Terry Lynn and Edward, and enjoyed spending time with their three grandchildren, Kaylynn, Owen and Alec. John retired after 40 years as an electrician at Heinz Canada.

John also worked as an equipment manager with the Leamington Flyers in recent years and enjoyed the time working with the ‘older kids’, many of whom went on to professional careers but had a fondness for that guy in the equipment room.

He was a mainstay downstairs in both arenas and if you needed anything, you just had to yell for “Forbesy”, or knock on the door of ‘Fort Forbes’ to get an answer.

In 2005, John was named ‘Volunteer of the Year’ by the Municipality of Leamington for his tireless work for Southpoint Minor Hockey.

Ron Sellon became fast friends with John during the 1980s and 1990s while on the minor hockey board. A select group was allowed into the equipment room in those days, where Saturday morning bacon and eggs were served regularly for those who made the cut.

Ron and John eventually became best buds after their days of service to minor hockey and were both instrumental in the creation of the Southpoint Alumni, a group of former board members who still wanted to help the hockey organization from behind the scenes. The group has raised $100,000 to date through fundraisers, including their annual golf tournament. John Forbes was a big part of that.

For Ron Sellon, he and John grew closer over the years, and shared a lot of laughs and memories about their days in the arena, until John’s health started to decline in the past few years.

“He was a great guy and an even greater friend,” said Sellon.

Reminiscing last week about this late buddy, Sellon sat back in the chair and smiled.

“I once said to him: John, when the third period is over, it’s time to turn out the lights,” said Sellon.

John’s third period came to a close on Sunday, October 10 at Erie Shores Hospice with his family at his side.

His contribution to his two favourite hockey organizations can’t be measured in periods, hours or dollars, but in the memories of those who he helped along the way.