Lawrence Dunville
| Lawrence Dunville | |
|---|---|
| Larry | |
| Born | 1924-12-11 Waldron, Saskatchewan |
| Died | 2022-03-26 Thunder Bay, Ontario |
| Years in Thunder Bay | by 1945–at least 1950s |
| Occupation | mill accountant |
| Employer | Earls Court Rangers |
| Father | |
| Mother | |
| Partner | |
| Children | |
Lawrence Dunville (11 December 1924 – 26 March 2022 (aged 97)) was a Saskatchewan-born mill accountant and semi-professional athlete who served as Reeve of Red Rock and was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.[1][2]
Life and family
Lawrence Dunville was born in Waldron, Saskatchewan, where he worked on his family's farm before moving to Fort William in 1940. During the Second World War, he served as a corporal in the Royal Canadian Airforce from 1943 to 1946. Following his service, he moved to Pass Lake where his parents operated a store. He married May Brohm in 1949. An accomplished athlete, he played hockey for the Earls Court Rangers in London, England, and later played in Moncton, N.B. He was eventually inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1991 for his achievements in hockey, baseball, golf, and curling.[1]
In his professional life, he worked in real estate and insurance for E.L.A. Smith Agencies and was employed at Can Car in Fort William. In 1954, he moved to Red Rock and began a long career with St. Lawrence Corporation, later known as Domtar, where he served as a mill accountant until retiring in 1988. He was deeply involved in local governance, serving seven years on the Red Rock Town Council and three years as Reeve. He was also a founding member of the North Shore Golf Course.[1]
He was survived by his children Elsie Christensen and her husband Jorn, Les Dunville and his wife Jane-Ann, Jim Dunville and his wife Kathy, and Judy Kiviaho and her partner Mark Anderson. He was also survived by grandchildren Joshua Dunville, Ian Dunville and his partner Lyndsay, Joel Dunville and his partner Caroline, Graham Dunville and his partner Lisa, Kirsti Keetch and her husband Chris, and Karsten Kiviaho. His great-grandchildren include Kai, Greyson, Quinn Keetch, Elliott, Clark, and Sebastian Dunville. His surviving siblings include brother Harvey Dunville and his wife June, and sisters-in-law Tina Dunville, Nadia Dunville, and Shirley Dunville. He was predeceased by his parents Wilfred and Olga Dunville, in-laws Jorgen and Anna Brohm, sister Helen and her husband Fred DePiero, and brothers Gordon Dunville, Robert Dunville, and Arthur Dunville, as well as nephews Scott Dunville and Donald Dunville.[1]
He died on March 26, 2022, at Southbridge Roseview in Thunder Bay. He had previously received care at Hilldale Gardens and Ambulatory Care at the TBRHSC. A celebration of life was scheduled for August 5, 2022, at the Harbourview Funeral Centre.[1]
Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame
Larry Dunville was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1991 as an athlete (ceremony date given as 28 September 1991), for golf, curling, baseball and hockey.[3]
The Hall of Fame profile is taken to be about this man: this page already records his induction into the Hall of Fame and both describe a Fort William hockey player and Red Rock mill worker.[3]
During a competitive Hockey career that lasted 20 years, Larry Dunville played for several amateur clubs including the Fort William Beavers, Nipigon Flyers, and Red Rock Royals. His playing career also took him to Dartmouth, Moncton, and England. Throughout his time on the ice, he earned individual accolades such as Most Valuable Player and Most Gentlemanly Player. In 1958, he captained the Red Rock Royals to a championship in the North Shore League.[3]
In Baseball, he was active during the late 1940s and 1950s. He played for various teams in Fort William as well as the Red Rock Paper Kings. During this period, he was a member of two teams that captured both the Lakehead League and Thunder Bay District championships. He eventually transitioned into a leadership role, serving as a playing coach for the Red Rock Paper Kings.[3]
His involvement in Golf spanned more than two decades. He was a foundational figure for the North Shore Golf Club in Red Rock, helping to establish the organization in 1961. He later served as the club's President from 1968 to 1977 and held the position of Vice President from 1978 to 1988. On the course, he won the North Shore Golf Club Men's Championship in 1962, 1972, and 1974. He dominated the senior circuit at the same club, winning the Senior Men's Club Championship nine times between 1975 and 1987. In 1986, he secured the Thunder Bay District Senior Men's Championship.[3]
Beyond his playing days, he contributed to Northwestern Ontario sports as a builder and coach. In addition to his baseball coaching, he led the Nipigon Flyers and Red Rock Royals hockey teams as a playing coach. His long-standing commitment to the sporting community was celebrated in 1982 when the Red Rock Royals hosted a dedicated appreciation event known as Larry Dunville Night. He was also an accomplished competitor in Curling.[3]
Residence in the Thunder Bay area (by 1945–at least 1950s) rests on the following dated evidence. Played hockey for the Fort William Beavers and baseball for Fort William teams during the late 1940s and 50s.[3]
Achievements listed in the profile:
- Led the Red Rock Royals to the North Shore League hockey title in 1958
- Won two Lakehead League and Thunder Bay District baseball championships in the 1940s and 1950s
- Three-time North Shore Golf Club Men's Champion (1962, 1972, 1974)
- Nine-time North Shore Golf Club Senior Men's Club Champion between 1975 and 1987
- Captured the Thunder Bay District Senior Men's Golf Championship in 1986
- Founding member of the North Shore Golf Club in 1961
- Served as President of the North Shore Golf Club from 1968-77
- Honoured with Larry Dunville Night by the Red Rock Royals in 1982[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Obituary for Lawrence Dunville, The Chronicle-Journal (Thunder Bay), 2022-03-29, via Legacy.com. Archived copy on datum.locker.
- ↑ The Chronicle-Journal, 29 March 2022, p. 9(B)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 "Larry Dunville", athlete profile, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/athlete-profile/c12daea6-56c0-4585-bd18-90a64f97f311 (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.