TIME OF THEIR LIVES

U of T Sports Hall of Fame celebrates new inductees

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, wrote Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities. For Eric Sereda, who played soccer for the Blues men’s team from 1965 to 68, those were the best of times - period.

Sereda, who graduated with a BPHE degree in 1969, was captain of the team in his final season. The team won five consecutive OQAA championships, losing only one game in five years. Competing against the University of Montreal, they played in 10 inches of snow and won 12 to 1.

“I played with a team of skilled and outstanding individuals,” said Sereda, who was one of 12 individual to be inducted into the 2023 U of T Sports Hall of Fame on May 25. “To this day I value the friendships that we developed.”

Bill Nepotiuk spoke on behalf of the inducted 1967-68 and 1968-69 men’s soccer team. He thanked coach Ernie Glass, represented at the event by his son Jamie, for his leadership.

“He never yelled or screamed at anyone,” said Nepotiuk. “Always positive, he instilled his philosophy of hard work and determination. Thank you to the University of Toronto for providing an athletic program that allowed our team to go on such a magical ride.”

Peter Sarantopoulos graduated from Innis College in 1992 and played soccer for the Blues from 1988 to 91, earning CIAU tournament MVP honours in just his first year. He went on to play 25 games for Canada’s national soccer team between 1988 and 93. Speaking at the induction ceremony, he said his biggest victory was winning friendships.

“I often walk by the Varsity Stadium with a big smile on my face and my kids tell me to get over it,” joked Sarantopoulos. “Now they’ll have to see my face on the HOF display board at the Goldring Centre every time we walk by. It’s such a special feeling.”

Friendship was the common theme throughout the evening, which saw one athlete after another share stories - and a few tears - about the best time of their lives.

Alexandra (Alex) Brooks-Hill excelled at field hockey and squash at U of T while pursuing her medical degree. She won gold medals at the 1992 OWIAA and the 1993 and 1996 CIAU championships, among a plethora of other accomplishments. She shared a pep talk coach Liz Hoffman, who would go on to become U of T’s director of athletics, gave the team when they were feeling deflated after a lost match.

“She told us this was the best time of our lives. She was right.”

Brooks-Hill’s teammate Dana Anderson was an integral member of the 1993 and 1996 CIAU championships teams, earning championship MVP honours at the 1996 tournament. Speaking of the team’s dedication to the sport and each other, she said she knew she gave it her all on the field when she had to lean on her teammates to walk up the stairs for a press conference after the game. Anderson graduated with a B.Sc. from U of T in 1996.

Rebecca (Becky) Moore spoke on behalf of the inducted 1996 women’s field hockey team. Calling her decision to join the Blues one of the best decisions of her life, she said the experience taught her and the team so many life lessons.

“We learned we could do hard things, tolerate discomfort, prioritize, stay committed, face fears.”

Rodger Doner’s brother Jim spoke on behalf of the wrestling champ and BPHE and dentistry graduate. Doner was a member of three OQAA championship teams between 1958 and 1961 and won individual OQAA titles in 1960 and 1962. He also represented Canada at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. In later life, he became an avid sailor, circumnavigating the globe in his 35 ft sailboat.

“He lived an exceptional life.”

David Rowland was a talented soccer player, who graduated from Knox College in 1935 and served as the team’s manager. During WW2, Rowland served as the chaplain of the Irish regiment of Canada and in 1956, he was awarded an honorary degree from Knox.

Rowland’s son Barry accepted the award on his behalf, saying the induction of his father into HOF completes the circle, with Rowland’s great granddaughter Kaylin now a member of the UTTC junior development program.

Ed Brennan was a skilled basketball player during his time at U of T, where he earned his B.A. in 1952 from St. Michael’s College and a BST in theology in 1958. Brennan’s niece Terri described him as “the original fun uncle, fiercely competitive and compassionate.” Brennan left the priesthood in the 70s to get married and continued to work for peace and justice until the end of his life.

Helen Carefoot’s niece Ann described her aunt as someone who would step into every opportunity life afforded her. Carefoot graduated from Victoria College in 1934 and helped lead the ice hockey team to victory as intramural champions in 1942 and 1943. She also served as president of the Victoria College women’s athletic association. Carefoot went into law school and practiced law when few women did.

Andria Hunter’s dream of playing hockey at U of T became a reality when she went into graduate school for computer science and started playing for the Blues.

“Looking back through my hockey photo albums, what stood out about our team was how tight-knit we were,” said Hunter. “We had so much fun, both on and off the ice. I believe that this led to our unity as a team and ultimately to our success on the ice.”

The inducted 1990-91 and 1991-92 women’s ice hockey team won the OWIAA championship an impressive five years in a row.

Lesley Reddon, who graduated with a B.Comm from U of T in 1993, was a key contributor to the ice hockey team between 1989 and 1993. After her university career, Reddon went on to represented Canada on the international stage, winning gold medals at the 1994 and 1997 world championship, as well as a silver medal at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games.

“Any success we have is a sum of all parts,” she said, thanking her dad for his support early on. “My U of T experience was a great springboard for everything I did later in life.”

Laurie Taylor Bolton, who spoke on behalf of the 1990-91 & 1991-92 women’s ice hockey team, said playing for the Blues was the best part of her university experience.

“We learned about commitment, strategy, humility, loyalty and friendship,” she said. “Looking back, I struggle to remember the scores, but I remember endless laughs and moments of friendship. It was a golden time.”

Like players before her, Taylor Bolton acknowledged the village it takes to raise an athlete, including coaches like Dave McMaster, “who believed in you and made you want to play better and harder for each other.”

Also inducted were the 1939-40 men’s boxing, wrestling and fencing team, among them Frederick Fall, who excelled in boxing and helped the team win two league championships in 1927-28 and 1930-31. Fell graduate from engineering in 1933.

William Belfry Hendy graduated in 1895 with a B.A. from University College and got a medical degree from U of T in 1904. An accomplished athlete and member of UTAA first men’s athletic directorate, he was inducted as a builder. Hendy was professor of obstetrics and gynecology at U of T, and obstetrician and gynecologist-in-chief at Toronto General Hospital. — JD

Barbara Goldring, a keen volunteer and passionate philanthropist, passed away on May 16, 2022, at the age of 90. She leaves a legacy of generous support for higher education, and the University of Toronto joins her friends and family in honouring her profound impact and mourning her passing.

“Barbara Goldring was a warm and gregarious friend to many. Always interested in humanity, she made contributing to her community a central pillar of a life well lived,” said Meric Gertler, president of the University of Toronto. “The far-reaching support she and her family extended to U of T has been very much in that spirit. Their generosity has allowed students to enjoy a fully engaged education, helped researchers to improve our collective health and enabled scholars to explore Canada’s economy, politics, geography, and its place in the world. Indeed, Barbara’s kindness and communitymindedness will always remind us of Canadian values at their best. I would like to extend my deepest condolences, and those of the entire U of T community, to Barbara’s children, her wider family, and her many friends.”

Barbara Goldring, her husband Warren (d. 2009), and their family have always been exceptionally generous to the University of Toronto, and their support has strengthened three important areas. In 2006, they donated $11 million to the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport at the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education.

“The generosity of Mrs. Goldring and her family has made a tremendous difference to the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education,” said Dean Gretchen Kerr. “The Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport is more than an award-winning athletic facility – it is also a key support in our efforts to generate and share knowledge about the value of physical activity for physical, mental, emotional and societal health. The research, sport, and educational opportunities offered to students and the wider community in the Goldring Centre are having tremendous, valuable impacts.”

In addition, the family’s $4-million contribution to the Goldring Student Centre at U of T’s Victoria College has proved vital to engaging commuter students in university life.

“Victoria College has always appreciated the involvement and generosity of Mrs. Goldring and the Goldring family,” said William Robins, president of Victoria University. “It means a great deal to students to know they have the support of those who came before them, and who understand the power of an engaged and friendly community to help them blossom. The Goldring Student Centre is an important support for ambitious and eager young people at a pivotal time in their lives.”

And the family’s generous gift endowed the Goldring Chair in Canadian Studies, which is held by U of T president and geography professor Meric Gertler. Professor Gertler’s research on the role of city-regions as sites of innovation in the global economy has had a major impact on governments in Canada and around the world and has inspired robust research programs at U of T’s School of Cities and its University of Toronto School of Cities Alliance in India.

“The Goldring family’s support for Canadian Studies strengthened a wonderful research and teaching hub,” said Markus Stock, principal of University College. “Our Canadianist scholars lead a vibrant research program, teach meaningful context to our upcoming generation, and put knowledge into practice through inclusive community engagement. Such impact takes a supportive community, and we will always be grateful to the Goldring family for championing Canadian Studies.”

Born Dorothy Barbara Dowd in Montreal, Barbara Goldring grew up in the city. After training as a nurse, she worked at the Royal Victoria Hospital, rising to head nurse. She married C. Warren Goldring, then an economics student, in 1953 after they met on a ski trip, and the couple had five children. The family settled in Toronto, where Warren co-founded the investment firm AGF Management, helping kick-start Canada’s mutual fund industry.

A lifelong volunteer as well as a philanthropist, Barbara Goldring supported a wide range of organizations, from the March of Dimes and the Canadian Nurses Foundation to Ontario Heritage Trust and the Monarchist League of Canada. Her honours include the Monarchist League’s Silver Badge of Service and the Government of Canada’s Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal.

“Barbara Goldring will be truly missed,” said David Palmer, U of T’s vicepresident of advancement. “She liked people – there’s no counting how many lives she brightened just through striking up a conversation. She also gave of her time and her prosperity to the communities around her, and that legacy will continue to brighten lives for years and generations to come.”

— Division of University Advancement