Tributes to Wally

Allan Blakeney – Notes for a Memorial Service for Wally Stinson – March 2008

I am grateful to be able to join with family and friends to pay tribute to the memory of Edgar Wallace Stinson – my friend of long standing – Wally. Some will speak of more recent times. I will say something of days long past.

I can almost see you raise your mental defences – not more about the good old days or the bad old days.

I will not tell you that when Wally moved from Manitoba and was growing up in Weyburn, he had to walk three miles to school and three miles back – uphill both ways. I will say that he grew up in what was in some ways a typical prairie town of the 1920’s and the early 1930’s. The Weyburn of that era has been immortalized in the words of W. O. Mitchell and his mythical town of Crocus – in the book, Who Has Seen the Wind and in the radio show Jake and the Kid. You will recall that Crocus was described as ‘the flour barrel of south central Saskatchewan’. Some will deny that Crocus was Weyburn. They point out the differences. In mythical Crocus the general store was McTaggart’s store. In real Weyburn the general store was not McTaggart’s. It was MacKinnon’s. It was further changed into a special prairie town when a young Baptist minister arrived in town in 1930. That minister was Tommy Douglas. Tommy had been a champion boxer in Manitoba where he had grown up and had extensive experience in the general area of drama when he earned money to go to University by giving recitations and dramatic performances on the Chautauqua circuit. A colourful era long gone. Tommy favoured the poems of Robbie Burns. Douglas took these skills to Weyburn. He organized clubs for boys. Wally used to tell stories of his club days with Tommy McLeod and other boys of Weyburn. The Stinson family E.T. (Ted) Stinson and Mrs. Stinson were strong Baptists so Wally was fully exposed to Tommy Douglas. Ted the dad was the Co-op store manager in Weyburn. Wally and Tommy McLeod found themselves pressed into service as drivers for Tommy Douglas when Douglas was up to his usual practice of scheduling 3 days work for 2 days.

When Tommy Douglas became Premier in 1944 he wanted to set up a scheme for government purchases that was free of the patronage so common in most governments in the 1930’s and early 1940’s. He sought out someone as Director of Purchases whom he felt was incorruptible. It was Wally’s dad, Ted Stinson. So the Stinson family moved to Regina. By the time Wally was about 25 and had joined the armed forces after completing his education. Wally had received a BA from Brandon College – then a Baptist citadel – and a Bachelor of Education and a Masters of Education from the University of Alberta and the University of Saskatchewan.

Wally’s dad Ted Stinson, was, it seemed to me, not only without corruption but without humour. People in government positions like Director of Purchases sometimes got sent gifts at Christmas – often liquor and fine liquor at that. I know that when I was chairman of the Securities Commission in the 1950’s it happened to me. I sent the gifts back with a standard letter saying that the press would doubtless misconstrue the donors motive etc. Pretty standard.

But not Ted Stinson. He felt he should not consume the liquor but also that nobody else should and he would take the bottles and pour the contents down the sink. Wally, back from the services and perhaps having imbibed the wisdom of Weyburn – the town with a Scottish name and peopled by MacKinnons, McTaggarts and McLeods – they doubtless would have believed that good scotch should not be poured down – the sink. Rumour has it that Wally attempted to intercept the post man bearing parcels. But I am sure that is apocryphal.

By the end of the 1940’s Wally had secured a position with the Department of Education under the minister, Woodrow Lloyd. As I recall it, he worked with something then called the Saskatchewan Recreation Movement. Wally had married Gwen and they lived in Regina. Regina was growing but its available housing was not, and there were no project builders. The first of them came in 1953 when Cairns built 50 homes – an unprecedented mass building project. But in 1952 seven and then six (the seventh – Wally’s Weyburn boyhood friend Tommy McLeod – had to drop out when he went to Saskatoon to become Dean of Commerce) six couples looking for houses decided to form a co-op and do part of the work themselves. Two of the six who formed the Lakeview ‘A’ Co-operative Building Association, were Wally Stinson and Allan Blakeney. For about a year from the spring 1952 to the spring 1953 we built six homes under the supervision of a Danish carpenter and his son. Wally taught me some of the finer points of carpentry such as how to drive a nail. I was not a total bust. When it came to putting on roofs two of us, Bill Haney and I were clearly more comfortable with heights than some of the others. It’s nice to know that you have at least one skill that is in demand. In my case I did not detect a second. We would end an evening’s work often by going to over to Wally’s house – the most advanced in construction – where Gwen would produce hot coffee or tea. We eventually got six good houses and good friends. I doubt whether it was a commercial success but it certainly was a social success.

Wally and I went our separate ways. I stayed in Regina, got into politics and remained in Regina until 1988. Wally spent many years working around the province organizing high school track meets, tournaments and the like before moving on to the Teachers College at Saskatoon and then to the University where he taught physical education now graced by the name kinesiology. When Wally’s marriage with Gwen failed Wally some time later partnered with Eleanor. They have had over 30 good years together.

Wally has been a towering figure in physical education in Saskatchewan and in Canada. He has been very diligent and very skilled in energizing others. As you might expect he has been showered with honours:

Founding Member of Canadian High School Athletic Association
President of the Amateur Athletic Union of Canada
Member Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame
Recipient of Canadian Centennial Medal

Many others. Some of these activities may well be touched upon by other speakers.

On a more personal level, my wife Anne and I have visited with Wally and Eleanor in Mexico at Rincon de Guiabitos and here in Saskatoon. Lately I’ve visited Wally at Lutheran Towers where we discussed the fortunes of the Roughriders, the Maple Leafs, the Boston Red Sox, Pat Simmons and sometimes Lorne Calvert. His boyhood friend Tommy McLeod died a few months ago and now Wally has left us. Tommy Douglas, W. O. Mitchell, Tommy McLeod, Wally Stinson. Weyburn’s sons are being called.

The CBC would have us believe that it is “So Saskatchewan”. I felt that people like Wally Stinson are so Saskatchewan – so involved – so committed to service – so instrumental in forming all the networks that make Saskatchewan such a special place to live. We owe them our respect and our gratitude. All of us have lost a fellow citizen – some of us have lost a warm friend – he will be missed.

Tribute to Wally

Diane Gossen - Step-daughter

Wally is wonderful. This is what our mother said the first month she dated him. We thought this was pretty hilarious because she had been colleagues with him for five years but had never really noticed him. She thought he was conservative. He thought she would never get her hair messed up. I guess they both found out otherwise and it was a delight to watch them. We teased Wally relentlessly about being wonderful, even buying shirts emblazoned with this. Shirts he gamely wore until they were in tatters. Then Elinor made the mistake of telling us she thought Wally had a body like Charles Atlas. We called him C.A. Stinson. Well did we have fun with that one! Wally, as we know, was always a person to take a joke, even to the point of posing in his bathing suit flexing his muscles. Before long we too were all saying “Wally is wonderful”. First of all because he was so good to our mother who had been so lonely since our dad had died. Secondly, because as we got to know him we realized what prince of a man he was.

Many of Wally’s qualities have been shared by the speakers who have proceeded me. So what I want to talk about is the personal side of this kind, sensitive, astute man as we came to know him. Wally’s creativity showed up in his love of building. Here Wally was a man of action. Though he could spend hours in a chair doing crossword puzzles or watching T.V. sports when Wally was galvanized he was a force to be reckoned with. He and Rick worked together on several projects on our cabin at the lake. Rick said Wally was always up two hours earlier and well into it before he arose and Rick is not a lazy person. Bill worked with him on the house Wally and Mom built in Gabriola. When I asked Bill how it was going he sort of rolled his eyes and said he was getting to know a different side of Wally. I gather he was a rigorous foreman. I remember when we wanted to add a garage with a bedroom above it to our home, the old Sutherland United Church, I couldn’t get either of my contractor brothers interested in the prospect. However, when I walked Wally through the house he sat down and by the next morning had designed a feasible plan that would take into consideration the four different levels at which the addition would interface with the existing house – and he had fun doing it! Wally’s last project was just before he had his stroke two years ago. He got an idea to take down our eyesore of a boathouse at Christopher Lake and to design a new one. With considerable difficulty he struggled out each hot day to supervise from a lawn chair right beside the project so he could oversee the crew. He was heard to say ruefully – “If only I could hold a hammer”.

Wally was a marvelous and patient host as all of us who visited him know. As grandfather to dozens of young people he was endlessly patient. The only time his patience might have run short was loading up the van in Mexico – would you believe 18 people in one trip - or when he had to wait too long for his supper. Six o’clock was about his limit for he dearly loved food and appreciated all those who prepared it.

Wally came to a family which thrived on conflict. We loved to debate even argue especially when Duncan was with us. Yet never did he let himself be immersed in any unpleasantness. For one thing it was below him. For another it was not his style because more than most people he could see both sides of the issue and be the big person. Remember how fun it was to be in a room with Wally having a nonverbal secondary conversation with the odd phrase thrown in for those quick enough to catch it? Mom says she can’t remember him every losing his temper with her. I can remember nothing but kindness.

It’s hard to speak about Wally without including Mom. Such was their devotion that we seldom visited with one of them alone until Wally went to Luther Special Care Home. They had rituals together such as their walks, going to garage sales, their breakfasts of fruit and toast on the deck, and 5 o’clock cocktail hour, their attendance at plays and the symphony and at the Commonwealth games and the Unitarian Church. I’d like to add football but the fact that at their first game Mom asked Wally which was the team in the striped black and white suits must have been a bit discouraging. But Wally never criticized Mom for this. For two people with such different interests this pair got along amazingly well. When Mom had heart surgery he never left her side. She returned his devotion this past year when Wally’s health failed. She went every day for more than a whole year missing only two weeks when she was out of the country. Wally eagerly anticipated each afternoon’s visit when he would hear the news of the day. They played scrabble or reread Mom’s diaries of their days together. They recapitulated their many wonderful trips. The week Wally died the home was under quarantine/ but Mom courageously donned gown, gloves and mask and went daily.

I used to sneak him fruit – blueberries (his favorite) and strawberries and raspberries. The Sunday before he died I fed him six ripe slices of mangoes (his favorite from Mexico) which he chewed with relish even though he hadn’t been taking any solid food for over a week. On this my last visit Wally told Mom and I he had been to Mexico and slept in the front bedroom where there were no steps to climb. He was adamant that I start packing up the pictures on the wall, the fan and the TV. I told him I would do it tomorrow and reminded him I had the big old 1975 Cadillac which would hold it all. He wanted them to be taken that day. Wally wanted mom to lie down with him. He kissed her hair and told her she was beautiful. When mom told him we were going to Laurel’s for supper, he said so sad-sweetly “Aren’t I going?” Wally was ready to leave the confines and discomfort of his hospital bed. I loved Wally and hated looking away. Four days later Mom and Rick were with him when he quietly stopped breathing at 2:30 the afternoon of March 20th. Six family members sat with him for two hours to express their love and today there are many of us here adding our memories and affection. The family in Norway has sent a tribute with which I am going to close.

Wally was Funny

Wally was funny
He had a real talent
This guy he was punny
Especially with Allan

He never was mean
His jokes they were clean
Except with McKenzie
Balfour and Stan Green

They made subtle references
Only they understood
Pretended to be bad
Tho’ we knew they were good

Wally a person
Not to compete
Til it came to the games
Where he’d not take defeat

He beat us in Scrabble
Crib scores he did scribble
He got all sports questions
Not matter how “Trivial”

He loved crossword puzzles
And thought he was cute
When he mastered a challenge
Or won a dispute

Wally was wonderful
Don’t we all know
The model he gave us
To help us all grow

Diane

The family in Norway wants to join you all and express our gratitude for being a part of Wally’s life.

I was 30 years old when Wally came into Mom’s life and have known him for exactly half of my own life. Many in his position would be described as "my mother’s husband" but Wally thoroughly earned the title of step-father and grandfather. In fact, the only grandfather my children have known. Although we lived in Norway we spent extended periods of time together in the same household either in Saskatoon, Norway, Gabriola or Mexico, and therefore learned to know Wally’s sterling qualities intimately.

Wally was present through pregnancies and accounts of numerous births retold on many occasions. We think Wally could become a midwife in his next life after witnessing two dozen pregnancies. Truly it will be a new kind of coaching role for him. We took many long car trips together both in Canada and Norway during which Wally exhibited an amazing patience with small grandchildren and a genuine interest in all of our undertakings. Wally’s keen sensitivity and generosity of spirit endeared him to all of us, young and old. His deep humanistic values formed in the Baptist church and under the influence of Tommy Douglas were evident in the quiet dignity of his actions. His selflessness, concern for others and acceptance of his illness are an abiding inspiration to me. I will always be grateful for the boundless love he showed my mother.

I had hoped to see him once more during my next trip home in 3 weeks. In my mind’s eye I see his gentle and loving gaze as we parted last September, well knowing it might be the last time.
Julie Chelsom

An Ode To Wal

Stan Green

Initially when I was requested to provide a short eulogy for my old friend and mentor, I accepted with little hesitation.

Thinking back to my relationship with Wal, the positives immediately came to the fore.

He was Fair, Dependable, and Unflappable. He was a Great Decision Maker. He was the Ultimate Pacifier. I found it difficult to come up with any negative remembrances of the man who could literally walk on water. However, after a great deal of thought I decided to submit examples of the other side of Old Wal.

Hiring of field staff: I applied for a position with the Sask. Recreation Movement and went through all the hoops before the final determination of whether I would be hired. The entire staff at that time had a hand in my selection or rejection by using the “Black Ball Process”. Each staff member was supplied with a black ball and if anyone did not approve of me for whatever reason then he/she staff member seated in a circle would disclose their vote. Each staff member in turn would reveal their hand. Should a black ball appear, I could not get the position. Fortunately a black ball did not appear and I got the job.
First Christmas party at the Stinson’s: The staff used to natter with Wal about serving alcohol and requested that he have plenty on hand. Wal’s Dad, who strongly disapproved of alcohol, was not expected to be at this party. It was a cold, wintry night and Wal greeted us at the front door with a glass of rum and coke. Just as I was about to taste this offering I heard “Wally, your Mom and Dad are on their way over!!” My drink was removed and I was forced to scale a 5 foot fence to avoid the visitors who were coming up the street.
Trip to Saskatoon: In those days you brought your own medication to conferences . . . We were not doing anything out of the ordinary. We did pass a police car and were pulled over to the side of the road. What to do with a partially open bottle of cough medicine? Wal quickly handed it to our only female passenger and told her to sit on it. The four males got out of the car but they did not ask the lady to get out.
Wal, Jack McKenzie and Me: We were teaching summer school and staying at Howard Nixon’s house. In addition to teaching a class I was taking a class. We were also forced to have a morning schedule for the bathroom. Green was the first to shave, shower, etc. Stinson would sneak into the bathroom and utilize my time. McKenzie would break into song. To add insult, they would come home at night, interrupting my studies and serenade me – Wally singing, Jack strumming his guitar.

Stan’s retaliation – I tampered with Wally’s razor blade and made his neck shave rather rough. I also tampered with Jack’s guitar strings and at his first strum the string flipped past his head. We all enjoyed ice cream, which was a major part of our food budget. Although we were to share the expense, I ate the least and paid the most . While chairing a National Conference and introducing the head table, a waiter (with Wal and Jack in tow, towel over his arm) personally delivered a huge bowl of ice cream and placed it directly in front of me.

5. Staff Meeting, K.G. Hotel, Saskatoon: As the junior member, I was the Go Go guy (gopher). During our evening social time Wal sent me down for ice and mix. When I got to the desk I saw Woodrow Lloyd just checking in. He enquired as to what was going on. I said that we were in the midst of a staff meeting and that this was the social part of our visit. He suggested he would take the ice and mix up to our room. I walked into our room while Mr. Lloyd remained in the hall. Wal bellowed, “Where is the ice and mix?” Surprise, Mr. Lloyd entered with towel over his arm and delivered the ice and mix. He then proceeded to take our money in a small poker game.
6. Wal, Stan and John Larson Visit Montreal: Following a conference banquet Wal did not feel too well. John and I walked Wally to John’s apartment and we then proceeded to see some of the sights of Montreal. We left Wal for almost two days without getting back to him at the apartment.

Wal,

We shared many stories, some true and some embellished, during your stay at the Luther Care Home – when we could remember.

I hope that I will have the same courage as you when my time comes.

May we meet again old friend..

p.s. If you are listening, you never did pay the 50 cents you owed me on our Roughrider bet.

Tribute to Wally

Howard Nixon

Click here for pdf file

Tribute to Wally Stinson
Retirement remarks by Professor Gerald Langley

Though not a native Saskatchewanian, Wally has been with us for so long that I think we can safely claim him as one of our own. His record clearly indicates why we are proud to do so. Weyburn was the scene of his early education. Since Wally pre-dates the establishment of a University in Regina, understandably he found it more convenient to seek higher education at Brandon University. From there he obtained his B.A. degree. Just why he then selected the University of Alberta for his teacher training I don’t know, but evidently he saw the light, and returned to the College of Education for his B.Ed degree. All his life Wally has been interested in athletics. So wide are his interests in this regard that it is difficult to single out any one as his specialty, but basketball and swimming might rank a notch above the others. It was his interest and competence in athletics that cut short his high school teaching career. He taught high school in the town of Kathryn, Alberta for a few years, before accepting a position with the Physical Fitness Division of the Saskatchewan Department of Public Health. He progressed from Field Representative to Director of the Program – a program that extended sports and recreation to many small Saskatchewan communities.
Wally’s experience and demonstrated ability in his work with the Fitness Division won him an appointment to the staff of the Saskatoon Teachers College. There he continued his work in the area of fitness as Physical Education teacher of teachers. Possibly tolerance was another attribute the powers that be were looking for in making the appointment to T.C. Wally there taught in the only gymnasium in the world that had open North, South, East, and West exposures, with extra mid-floor showers every time it rained.

Another interest developed however – supervision of student teaching. I don’t know whether his interest in fishing developed because of his supervision of student teachers in Northern Saskatchewan at the start of the fishing season, or whether his interest in student teaching started as a way of getting assigned to supervise in the North so he could go fishing. In any case, he developed an interest in both.

When Teachers College and the College of Education faculties integrated on the University campus, both the Dean and Associate Dean turned a deaf ear to hints by the then head of the School of Phys. Ed that Wally join the Phys. Ed. Faculty. Wally stayed with the College of Education as Field Service Coordinator in charge of student teaching and internship assignments. If any of you have tried to coordinate in one specific task the efforts of two widely geographically separated groups, one a purely voluntary group and the other duty bound to do the task, and both necessary to complete the task, you can imagine some of the difficulties Wally encountered in coordinating the voluntary contribution of teachers with the College faculty in discharging the faculty’s responsibilities for student teaching and internship. On top of this, he had to please the students. But, all this he did, and continued to do until his retirement. Here his personal qualities of tact, persistence, even temperament, pleasant manner, and master of the art of gentle persuasion stood him in good stead.

Amateur sport has been a continuing interest of Wally. For several years he was Secretary of the Saskatchewan HS Athletic Association, an association that fostered physical fitness as part of high school programs and coordinated inter-school athletics competitions. From provincial service, Wally soon expanded to service on a national scale. After many years as secretary to the Saskatchewan Branch of Amateur Athletic Union of Canada, he held the office of President of that body for a three year term. The Canadian Government, recognizing his interest and capability in promoting amateur athletics, appointed him a member of the original National Fitness Council, and later to its successor, the National Council on Fitness and Amateur Sport.

It was not long before his ability was recognized internationally. Several years ago he was elected V.P. of the British Commonwealth Games. This did not keep him from being active in the games himself - as an administrator that is. He was assistant manager of the Canadian Team at the Commonwealth games in Edinborough, team manager at Christ Church and assistant team manager at Edmonton.

Executive positions did not stop Wally from working in sports at the grass-roots level. He was particularly visible as Director of innumerable track meets throughout the province, some local, some regional, some provincial.
With these accomplishments it should come as no surprise to hear that Wally has been honored more than once by those with whom he worked. “In recognition of distinguished service to the profession, and unremitting zeal in promoting its aims and objectives,” the Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation in 1971 presented Wally an R. Tait McKenzie Medal, an award of honor. Then in 1974, Wally was elected to the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame, an honor attained by few – a recognition of this service to amateur athletics in Saskatchewan.

Now we, Wally’s colleagues and friends, are here to honor him on his retirement as an educator. I think quotations form his citation for the McKenzie award will indicate how even his extra-curricular activities were in essence educational.
“Wally Stinson is that kind of person who believed in the value of the human personality…”
“The hundreds of people who have been his students and followers bear the mark of Wally’s character and inspiration. Through these teachers he has helped to make play and fun (and hence physical fitness) a very real part of the lives of thousands.”

Where Wally will be in the years ahead I cannot say. He and Elinor have a house in BC and by June will have a house in Mexico. He is still Vice-President of the British Commonwealth games, so some travel will continue to be a must in his life. Wherever he goes, and whatever he does, I know he will be active for a long time, and that his activities will continue to be such as to enrich the lives of others.
Wally, whatever the future may hold, we want you to know that we wish you well in the continuation of what has up to now, been a productive, influential, beneficial, and successful career.