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Manitoba Tennis Hall
of Fame
The
inaugural Manitoba Tennis Hall of Fame induction ceremony
took place in conjunction with the 2006 Tennis Manitoba
Awards Banquet. Tennis Manitoba continues with the Hall
of Fame induction process during the 2007 Tennis Manitoba
Awards Banquet presented by CIBC Wood Gundy.
}
Tennis Manitoba Awards
Banquet
Hall of
Fame: Builders
Tennis
Manitoba would like to recognize those people that have
provided exceptional contributions that have furthered
the growth, reputation and character of the sport, in
categories such as administration, media, coaching and
officiating.
Hall of
Fame: Players
Tennis
Manitoba would like to recognize those people with a
distinguished record of competitive achievement at the
Provincial level, with consideration given to integrity,
sportsmanship and character.
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Gerry Labies
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Hall
of Fame: Builder
Inducted: 2006 |
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Gerry Labies was born in Friedeberg,
Germany on January 26, 1927. In 1949 he met
his future wife Traudel. In 1953 he came to
Manitoba leaving her behind. After a year of
separation Traudel decided to join Gerry and
start a new life with him. They married in 1954.
Five years later their daughter Helen was born
making their family complete.
Gerry pursued a career teaching History and
quickly became a favourite amongst the students
at Vincent Massey Collegiate.
In 1949, while landscaping, Gerry started to
watch a tennis court being built. This intrigued
him and as the court began to develop so did
his curiosity. Once the court was complete he
began to watch the players and decided that
maybe he would like a have a try at this interesting
sport. This was to be the catalyst for an amazing
journey into the world of tennis. Although he
didn’t really get serious about the game until
he came to Canada.
In every aspect of his life Gerry was a perfectionist.
If something was worth doing it was worth doing
right. His love for the game of tennis grew
quickly and he soon became competitive. His
love of gardening and his love for tennis were
soon combined when he agreed to take on the
job of groundskeeper for the Winnipeg Lawn Tennis
Club on Rosyln Road. Gerry soon found the right
combination of salt and water to make the clay
courts perfect.
With his intelligence and skills on the court
the Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club trophy case was
soon filling up with Gerry’s name. Being the
accomplished teacher that he was he began to
teach tennis in 1964 in night school. Many of
his students went on to have rewarding tennis
accomplishments themselves.
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Gerry (far left) helps set
up a net at Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club’s former
home on Roslyn Road. |
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In typical Gerry fashion his
love of the game only grew. He decided that
it was time to learn officiating. In 1986 he
received his Level III Tennis Canada Officials
Certification. From there he began to officiate.
He became well known for his fairness and ability
to control the linesmen and ball kids as well
as the players. In 1987 it was no surprise that
Gerry was asked to officiate the matches between
Boris Becker and Kevin Curren and Vitas Gerulaitis
and Andrew Sznajder at the Winnipeg Arena.
Seeing the need for better officials, Gerry
took it upon himself to begin training sessions.
He recruited and trained some of Manitoba’s
best officials, some of which have gone on to
officiate on a national level.
Gerry’s commitment to excellence and training
caught the eye of the Pan Am committee. In 1995,
Gerry was asked to come on board. His task was
to train and organize the officials for the
Pan Am games. Gerry had 4 years to get a team
together, which was a daunting task. He began
having clinics and training sessions while still
attending Pan Am meetings and organizing sessions.
This became a full time job in itself. But true
to his word, Gerry has his team ready in time
for the 1998 Women’s Challenger Tournament,
a high level international tournament. This
event was the testing ground for the team, and
they passed the test. They were ready for the
Pan Am games. At the games their professionalism
and skills shone through. Gerry had left his
biggest legacy.
Gerry’s contributions to the tennis community
did not go unnoticed. He received the Tennis
Manitoba Certificate of Appreciation, the Unicity
Racquet Club Certificate of Appreciation, the
Manitoba Sports Federation Outstanding Volunteer
Sport Award and the Tennis Canada Distinguished
Service Award.
Sadly, on October 6, 2004, Gerry lost his battle
with cancer. The tennis community felt and still
feels his absence. He left his mark in so many
ways that he could never be forgotten. Tennis
in Manitoba is truly better because of the dedication
of Gerry Labies. His spirit lives on in every
one he taught and played with. His daughter
Helen and his granddaughter Victoria continue
to play competitively, with a love for the game
no doubt instilled in them by their father and
grandfather.
We want to thank his wife Traudel for her help
in putting together this tribute to Gerry, allowing
us to honor him for the man that he was to all
of us.
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Gerry serves as Chair Umpire
at the 1987 exhibition match at the Winnipeg
Arena, featuring Boris Becker versus Kevin Curren. |
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Gerry (kneeling) with the line
umpires at the 1998 Women’s Challenger at
Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club. |
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Mickey Williams (Bahamas),
Johnny Saldivias (Ecuador), Gerry, Fernando
Baron (Colombia) at the 1999 Pan American Games. |
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Tano Cruz from Mexico (Chief
of Officials at the 1999 Pan Am Games), Gerry
and Javier Moreno from Spain (Referee at the
1999 Pan Am Games) prepare for the next day's
matches during the 1999 Pan American Games. |
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Ian Melling (Past-President
of Tennis Manitoba), Tano Cruz (Chief of Officials),
Tony Cho (Director of Officiating for Tennis
Canada), Javier Moreno (Referee) and Gerry at
the Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club during the 1999
Pan American Games. |
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Rob Jackson (Chair Umpire from
New Brunswick) and Gerry at the 1999 Pan American
Games. |
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Gerry (third from right) at
the closing ceremonies for tennis at the 1999
Pan American Games. |
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Posted: September 19, 2006
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Art Foster
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Hall
of Fame: Player
Inducted: 2006 |
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At the age of 17 Art Foster
was asked by a friend to return balls for him.
This was the first time that Art had ever picked
up a racquet. He was very much involved with
basketball and until then he had no interest
in tennis. Once he took that racquet in his
hand everything changed. He instantly fell in
love with the game. Like everything in his life,
he wanted to be good at it, and he wanted to
learn his way. Although he never took a lesson
it didn’t mean he didn’t want to learn. Art
immersed himself in books and studying other
players. Most importantly, he practiced and
practiced and practiced.
It wasn’t long before he was a force to be reckoned
with on the courts. Art had a natural talent,
and with his baseline play and speed on the
court he could run down just about anything.
“Just keep the ball in play and let them make
the mistakes” was his motto, and it worked.
His doubles partner, Ken McRae was quoted as
saying “We have been playing together for 40
years and he still amazes me. He is not the
fanciest player on the court but he can certainly
get the job done.”
On the court Art was someone to be feared yet
admired. Off the court, he was always admired.
Anyone who ever played against him will tell
you that he was the nicest player to play with.
His competitive edge never kept him from being
the most sportsmanlike. He was kind and caring
and always had nice things to say to and about
his opponents. His modesty is real and refreshing.
This is who Art is.
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Art was a natural with a tennis
racquet in his hand. His opponents often felt
like they were chasing 3 balls at once! |
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He retired from his job at Great
West Life after 34 years. Everyone loves him
and words like “kind”, “gentle”, “modest” and
“patient” are often used when describing him.
For many years he was on the board of directors
at the St. Norbert Treatment Foundation and
Behavior Center. He was there representing Great
West Life.
Art’s interests are as diverse as he is. He
was a very accomplished athlete in many sports.
From 1945 to 1947 he played and lettered in
basketball for the University of Manitoba Bisons.
He later went on to play faculty soccer and
basketball. His university experience was a
full one. He worked as sports editor of the
Manitoban and was the business manager of the
Commerce Magazine. His fraternity brothers of
Sigma Lanba Phi knew that he was going to go
far. In addition to all this, he curled and
played badminton. He left the university with
an honours degree in Commerce. As if that wasn’t
enough to keep him busy he also learned to play
the piano.
He met his wife Gay while playing badminton
at the Winnipeg Badminton Club on River Avenue
(now demolished). They married in 1956 and their
children Christine and John came later. They
now have 4 grandchildren to be proud of. We
congratulate Gay and Art for celebrating their
50th wedding anniversary this year.
In the 100 years of the Manitoba Open Tennis
Tournament, Art Foster is the only one to have
won the Men’s Open Singles title 6 times. In
1957 he won the North Dakota Open Singles. In
1955 he and long time partner Ken McRae won
the Alberta Open Doubles. His tournament wins
mounted and continued to mount into his 60’s.
In 1988, at the age of 61, Art received the
Order of Sports Excellence for winning the National
Seniors 60+ singles, 55+ doubles and 60+ doubles
titles. Unfortunately, we are not sure just
how many wins he really had. Art gave his trophies
away to be used again for other tournaments
and he did not keep track of his tennis accomplishments.
It wasn’t about winning. He enjoyed winning
as much as the next guy but he loved the sport
even more.
Art was a hero to many kids. Once he retired
he devoted some of his spare time to teaching
juniors indoors at the Winnipeg Winter Club.
It was important to teach them to play well
and be good sports on and off the court. He
is a true role model for the game of tennis.
Sadly, in 1998, while vacationing in Portugal,
Art suffered a stroke. His memory of the game
that he loved was gone. He is now living in
a personal care home. Art gave so much to the
world of tennis and it is now our turn to give
back to him. His legacy will live on as long
as we keep it alive. Practicing, giving 100%,
being kind on and off the court, keeping that
competitive edge while remaining modest, and
giving back to the community. These are the
ideals that Art has left us and we are better
off because of him.
In 2005, his wife Gay was asked to give out
an award on behalf of Art at the 100th anniversary
of the Manitoba Open Tennis Tournament. It is
now our honor to include him in the Tennis Manitoba
Hall of Fame.
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Ken McRae (left) and Art Foster
enjoy some downtime off the court. |
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Long-time doubles partners
Dr. Ken McRae (left) and Art Foster accept one
of the many championship trophies at the Manitoba
Open. |
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Art takes a well deserved rest
from the action. |
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Posted: October 2, 2006
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Ray Daumler
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Hall
of Fame: Player
Inducted: 2006 |
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It was back in 1973 at the age
of 8 that Ray Daumler took up the sport of tennis
at the Kildonan Canoe Club. This was the start
of a tennis career that would span 28 years
and be filled with numerous highlights.
Success came quickly and it was not long before
Ray became a top junior player in the province
and won many singles and doubles titles in the
1970s and 1980s.
At the age of 13, Ray competed in the Orange
Bowl World Championships as a wild card. He
won two rounds in the feed-in consolations and
lost to the world’s # 1 U14 player. He represented
Manitoba at countless Junior Nationals and in
1983, Ray’s final year of junior eligibility,
he defeated Canadian Davis Cup player Mark Greenan.
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Ray chases down a wide ball
en route to one of many tournament titles. |
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Ray did find time for activities
away from the tennis court and a young woman
by the name of Lynne caught his eye back in
1983. Three years later they were married and
they now have two children, Bradley who is 15
and Alexa who is 12.
Although Ray was married in 1986, he still found
plenty of time to play tennis and continued
to compete at a very high level. It was actually
that very same summer that he captured his first
Manitoba Open Men’s Singles title. Ray went
on to defend his title the very next year and
then took home a third Men’s Singles Championship
in 1989. He was the dominant player in the province
at the time and was very difficult to defeat.
Ray was extremely tough mentally and willed
his way to many victories. He may not have looked
like the smoothest player on the court, but
he was very competitive, he battled hard for
every point and he knew how to win. Opponents
will testify to the fact that he was very difficult
to play against because you could not get Ray
off of his game.
Ray is a sports enthusiast and stays in shape
today by running, lifting weights and taking
part in Tae Kwon Do. He and Lynne are black
belts and the children are brown belts.
Ray works for the Provincial Government as the
Director of Capital Planning for the Manitoba
Housing and Renewal Corporation. He is also
trained as an electrician and gas fitter and
is an installer and designer of residential
ventilation systems.
Ray joined us on the final day of the 100th
anniversary of the Manitoba Open in 2005 and
was recognized as one of the past champions
of the tournament. It is our pleasure to formally
recognize all of his efforts, contributions
and successes in the sport of tennis by inducting
him in the Manitoba Tennis Hall of Fame.
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Focus and determination were
keys to Ray’s success. |
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Posted: October 3, 2006
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James A. Ioanidis
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Hall
of Fame: Player
Inducted: 2007 |
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Jimmy Ioanidis started playing
tennis in Portage la Prairie at the age of 11,
where he shared one racquet with his sisters,
Connie and Joan. With the help of friends, like
Jim Preece, Harvey Sparling, Doug Muirhead and
Ralph Rowley, at the Island Park Tennis Club,
it was not long before Jimmy was excelling and
winning local tournaments. His natural talent
and hard work quickly moved him up the ladder
of tennis success and he was soon hitch-hiking
to Winnipeg to play tournaments.
As a youngster Jim was involved in many sports
before tennis became his focus. He was an avid
curler, played basketball and won the Browns’
Limited Cup for Senior Boys’ athletics at Portage
Collegiate. He was also a Queen’s Scout.
In 1951 at the age of 14, Jim won the Winnipeg
and District Junior Singles Championship. He
continued to capture that crown for 3 years,
along with many doubles and mixed titles. His
perennial opponents and/or doubles partners
were Frank Kanovsky, Don Mugford and Don McKush.
He also teamed with Joy Campbell to win numerous
Mixed Championships.
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Jim at 19 years of age at the
Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club |
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Moving on to the Open circuit, at 19 Jim
was one of the youngest to ever hold the Men’s
Singles title, a title which he retained for
5 years.
In 1959 Jim was chosen to attend the trials
for Junior Davis Cup Squad in Ottawa – a great
accomplishment for a small town prairie boy.
He was in the company of the nation’s tennis
cream of the crop which included Bob Bedard,
Harry Fauquier, John Bassett Jr., Francois Godbout,
Reider Getz, Yvon Leblanc and Don Fontana.
His many tennis successes also included winning
championships in the Northern United States,
Western Canada, Duluth and the Lakehead.
Jim dominated the Men’s Junior and Senior
Championships of Manitoba, as well as Doubles
and Mixed Doubles, over a 14 year period.
His achievements were repeated while he attended
the University of Manitoba where he earned a
Chartered Accountant degree. Jim, and his sister
Connie, along with Eleanor O’Gorman, lead the
Manitoba Bison Tennis Team to many University
victories from 1955 – 1962.
Jim continued to excel in tennis after he
married Joanne Woolley and moved to Montreal
in 1963 where he had landed a job with the prominent
chartered accountant firm of Price Waterhouse
& Co. Within a few years he was to become the
youngest person to be made a partner with the
firm.
In 1964 he was chosen to attend the Davis
Cup trials held at the Mount Royal Tennis Club.
He was in good company with the likes of Bob
Bedard, Mike and Keith Carpenter, Val Harit,
Reider Getz, Bob Puddicome, Brian Flood, Tony
O’Donnell and many hard battles were fought.
Also in 1964 Jim played Roy Emerson in the
Canadian Open Championships held at the Monkland
Tennis Club. The first set was magical as Jim
extended the famous Aussie who finally took
notice of the 28 year old Ioanidis and Emerson
finished by winning the match. However the next
day headlines in the Montreal Gazette dominated
the sports page: “Emerson Extended by Ioanidis”
A proud moment indeed.
Jim was President of the prestigious Mount
Royal Tennis Club from 1972 – 1974. His name
appears as champion on the singles, doubles
and veterans trophies numerous times from 1964
- 1994. During that period he played in the
company of many famous tennis players, with
the most notable being Greg Rusedski, an up
and coming junior at the time.
1982 was a stellar year in tennis for Jim
as he won both the Quebec Provincial Buick Challenge
and National Buick Challenge Mixed Doubles Championships
in London, Ontario with partner Denise Green.
He served as Treasurer of the exclusive Montreal
Indoor Tennis Club from 1994-96 and held several
club titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles
from 1986 - 2001.
Not to be outdone on the courts, Jim also
dabbled in fashion and modelled tennis clothes
in a tennis magazine. His famous backhand also
appeared on the cover of the Cote de Liesse
Tennis and Racquet Club’s Summer Brochure in
1983.
In 2000 he entered his first senior national
tournament in Mont Tremblant, QC where he reached
the men’s finals in the 60 plus category. He
unfortunately lost but it was a great show.
Along with his love of tennis, Jim was a
family man. Jim’s children were his pride and
joy. George, Don, Rob and Natalie were important
to him and he instilled in them his love of
sports and how it made one strong in mind and
spirit. They all in their own rights have many
academic and sports accomplishments. Jim’s strength
lives in his 4 children and 9 grandchildren.
Jim constantly gave a good performance and
was a true fighter often making his way to the
finals. Whether in tennis or in life he always
gave one hundred and ten percent.
His enduring laugh and ever present smile
were as famous as his backhand. His trademark
backhand was noted for its text-book form, power
and accuracy. It left many opponents gasping
for air and screaming in agony as the winning
shot exploded past them.
From 1999 - 2001 Jim was Treasurer of the
local Baie d’Urfe Tennis Club where his name
appears on numerous single, doubles and mixed
championships. He was directly responsible for
the construction of a new club house which opened
in April 2002. The Baie d’Urfe Tennis Club clubhouse
stands as a tribute to his contribution and
devotion to tennis. His picture and plaque at
the club reads:
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Jim Ioanidis
"His dedication, diligence and love
of tennis
made this new clubhouse his final triumph."
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Jim’s untimely passing occurred October 23,
2002.
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Jim at Winnipeg Canoe Club |
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Jim's famous backhand in motion |
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Ioanidis family: from left to right, front row, Jim and Joanne; back row, Rob, Natalie, Don and George in 1995 at son George's wedding |
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See also:
Ioanidis First Tennis Player to Enter Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame
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Posted: September 29, 2007
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Hilda Lewis
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Hall
of Fame: Player
Inducted: 2007 |
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Hilda Lewis (nee Burridge)
was the first dominant player in the
province of Manitoba, asserting herself as
the woman to beat in the 1920s. She was a
longtime member of the Wildewood Club and
captured many club championships over the
years.
Hilda holds the record for the most Women’s
Singles titles at the Manitoba Open Tennis
Championships. She won the tournament 9
times, including a streak of seven years
from 1920-1926.
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Hilda Lewis |
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Posted: October 2, 2007
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Eleanor O’Gorman
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Hall
of Fame: Player
Inducted: 2007 |
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Eleanor O’Gorman began
playing tennis in 1953 at the Wildewood Club
in the junior program that was coordinated
and coached by Lloyd Borland. Two years
later she participated in the U12 Junior
Nationals at the Rideau Club in Ottawa.
Through her junior years, she played the
Prairie Junior tournaments as well as
tournaments in Ontario, Quebec and
Minnesota. Following the Junior Nationals,
Eleanor was selected to play on the Canadian
Junior Team versus New England in Lake
Placid and Boston.
In 1960 Eleanor won the first of six
Manitoba Open Women’s Singles Championships.
A couple of years later she was selected to
a five member Girls’ Team that represented
Canada in the U.S. National Girls
Championships at the Merion Cricket Club in
Philadelphia. That same year she was also
awarded the Carl Pederson Memorial Trophy
for Manitoba Junior Athlete of the Year.
During her junior playing years, Eleanor
also excelled in badminton, winning the
Girls Doubles at Junior Nationals and
finishing second in singles.
In 1969 she teamed up with Judy Peake to
capture the Silver Medal in Women’s Doubles
at the Canada Summer Games.
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Eleanor (far right) with the
Canadian Girls Team at the 1962 United States
National Girls Championships which took place
at the Merion Cricket Club in Philadelphia. |
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Eleanor was also very busy
away from the tennis court, as both a
student and a volunteer. In 1969 she
graduated from the University of Manitoba in
Education and began teaching at River East
Collegiate. She was also President of the
Manitoba Tennis Association in the early
1970s and assisted with the hosting of two
Davis Cup ties at the Winnipeg Canoe Club.
Eleanor was Committee Chair for the 1971
Canadian National Tennis Championships,
which was also hosted at the Winnipeg Canoe
Club.
She made the move down east and in 1975
began working at the Granite Club in Toronto
and became the Head Squash and Tennis
Professional. This did not stop her from
playing the game she loved and in 1985 she
won the 40+ Doubles at the World Masters
Games and two years later Eleanor won the
Canadian Mixed Doubles Championship in
squash. In 1991 she won the 40+ Doubles at
the Senior Nationals with her sister, Isabel
Feasby.
After spending time as the Sports Manager at
the Badminton and Racquet Club of Toronto,
Eleanor moved to her current position as
Manager of four Mayfair Racquet and Fitness
Clubs Sports Shops.
She is Director of the Doug Philpott Inner
City Tennis Fund, an organization dedicated
to funding and coordinating tennis coaching
for 11 sites in designated low income areas
of Toronto. Eleanor still plays tennis and
is a member of the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club.
It is our pleasure to recognize Eleanor’s
commitment and dedication to tennis and her
many accomplishments in the sport by
induction into the Manitoba Tennis Hall of
Fame.
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Eleanor at the Winnipeg Tennis
Club |
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Eleanor with sister Isabel
Feasby |
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Posted: October 1, 2007
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| Tennis Manitoba plans to induct
selected people into the Tennis Manitoba Hall
of Fame at future Tennis Manitoba Awards Banquets.
If you wish to make any comments or suggestions
about the Tennis Manitoba Hall of Fame, please
contact Tennis Manitoba.
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