From the Fredericton Gleaner:
Oromocto won't be the same without Joe Foley
________________________________________
Joe Foley was one of those people who always made you feel good.
Whether it was his laugh, his Newfoundland accent, or just his overall congenial nature, he added much to life but expected very little in return.
The popular former pugilist and tireless community worker passed away last week at the age of 72.
The first time I met Joe was in December 1987 at the Hershey Street office of The Oromocto Post. He had dropped by to see the editor, Gordon Catt.
Having just started at The Post, I had a challenge: boosting the paper's sports coverage, which was basically non-existent at the time.
That set events in motion that would cement an ever-lasting friendship with the Badger, Nfld. native.
If his numerous trips to our office could be used as a yardstick for measuring his contribution to the newspaper, then it's fair to say that Joe made a huge difference.
Through his work with the Oromocto Boxing Club, a organization he founded with fellow boxer Arnold Fleiger, he helped troubled youths get rid of the anger that enveloped their bodies and gave them the means of turning it into positive energy.
For the many who fell within this category, Joe was a godsend.
"Those were among the best years of my life," Joe recalled in a 1999 interview. "Keeping kids off the street and working with Arnold Fleiger. Together we put some great fighters through."
Mr. Fleiger had made his own mark in the sport by hanging tough in the ring with world heavyweight contender Yvon Durelle in the 1950s.
Even after leaving The Post, my contact with Joe continued.
Through my weekly columns, Joe provided me with information on boxers he had fought against over the years, those he admired, and others who worked as hard as him to promote the sport. Through my subsequent mini-profiles, they, too, received some much needed recognition.
Joe was in his glory.
As a result of this, I was twice honoured with special plaques - by Joe himself and by the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame. Both mementoes hang with distinction on the wall of my den.
One of my proudest moments was being asked by Joe to be the ring announcer at an outdoor boxing event he organized at what was then referred to as Waasis Road Junior High.
Joe, a former member of the now-disbanded Royal Highland Regiment of Canada, better know as the Black Watch, was recognized for his many efforts by being named Mr. Boxing Canada, a distinction he earned on three occasions.
During his boxing career, Joe won 46 fights, 35 by knockout. He was Canadian Army Infantry Brigade Champion from 1958 to 1961.
During a visit to Joe's Barker Street home a number of years ago, I found more than 100 awards, diplomas and certificates displayed, all of which characterized some of his personal milestones or community accomplishments.
"What keeps me going is the fact that I do everything voluntarily," Joe said. "I never get paid for anything."
Among his most treasured possessions was a glass case that held an award honouring his Aug. 1, 1987, induction into the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame.
"That means a great deal to me," Joe said, while holding a picture he had taken with another boxing great, former world heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson.
In the late 1990s, Joe was named to the Ontario-based World Boxing Hall of Fame.
Other trophies portrayed an appreciation for his involvement with the Knights of Columbus and the Lions Club. Another said thanks for the close to 100 pints of blood he had donated over the years.
Joe, you were one of a kind and you will be missed.
Oromocto will not be the same.
Good luck dancing in that big squared circle in the sky.
Michael Staples is a reporter/editor with The Daily Gleaner. He can be reached at
staples.michael@dailygleaner.com.
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