Year Inducted: 2002
Home Town: Smith Falls
More about Anthony Nicholas (Tony) Esposito:.jpg)
Anthony Esposito, who is known to Oshawa's Sporting Community simply as 'Tony', was born in Smith Falls, Ontario in 1919. He moved to Oshawa at the age of 2, and was educated at St. Gregory's Catholic School.
In 1950, Anthony Esposito founded what was to become Tony's Refreshments and TRS Food Services. Soon after, Tony began sponsoring a broad range of Oshawa Teams for the next 24 years. Throughout the 50's, 60's and 70's, Tony's firm was the pre-eminent sponsor of amateur sport in the City of Oshawa.
The sponsorships ranged from the nationally and internationally known Provincial and Canadian Champion Oshawa Tony's Fastball Club, to Minor League and CAW League hockey teams, lacrosse, football, darts, and a major league bowling team.
There is no doubt that Tony Esposito's unending generosity made it possible for countless Oshawa athletes to compete in the sport of their choice, and to enjoy the personal rewards that such competition brings.
Year Inducted: 1995
Home Town: Fort Willliams
More about August (Gus) Bodnar:
Gus was born in Fort William, Ontario in 1923.
Gus played for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1943 to 1948, winning the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year and was a member of the 1945 Stanley Cup Team. While playing for the Chicago Blackhawks, Gus assisted on Bill Mozienko's three fastest goals - 21 seconds - an existing record. Gus ended his professional playing career with the Boston Bruins in 1956.
Gus coached for twenty years at the Junior C, Junior B and Junior A levels and in the Western Professional League. He coached the Memorial Cup Champion Toronto Marlboros in 1967 - 68.
Gus moved to Oshawa in December 1970 and coached the Generals until 1976. He was awarded the Matt Leyden Trophy as Coach of the Year in 1971 - 72. Gus also coached Canada's Junior team to a Bronze Medal in 1977-78.
Gus continues to take a keen interest in the game that was so much a part of his life.
Year Inducted: 2010
Home Town: Oshawa
More about Barb Boyes:
Barb Boyes has been a driving force behind girls field lacrosse both in Durham Region and across the province of Ontario for more than 25 years. Born in Oshawa, Boyes helped Canada win a bronze medal at the 1982 World Cup in England and moved into the provincial coaching ranks in 1989, guiding Team Ontario for a decade until 1999, winning Canadian championships in 1994, 1996 and 1997. She served as an assistant coach with Team Canada at the 1989 World Cup in Australia and then took over as head coach of the national team in 1990, serving in that role until 1993. In addition to her success, Boyes has been instrumental in the development of the sport throughout high schools in Durham and through the creation of the Oshawa Lady Blue Knights field lacrosse club. Boyes, who started her phys-ed teaching career in 1985 helped create the high school league that is now sanctioned by Lake Ontario Secondary Schools Athletics. Boyes introduced the Blue Knights program in 2000, starting with a three team house league and is now the largest girls field lacrosse program in the country, with over 400 players, numerous house league teams at all age divisions along with a very successful rep program. Boyes takes great pride in the number of opportunities the program has provided for its athletes to go on and play on NCAA scholarships, and on National Teams. She was inducted into the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1999 and was recognized by the International Federation of Womens Field Lacrosse Association in 2007.
Year Inducted: 2013
Home Town: Oshawa
More about Barb Loreno:
Oshawa born Barb Loreno is considered to be the city\'s \"First Lady\" of swimming.Barb first served notice of her prowess in water competing at the Canadian National Exhibition in 1949, finishing fifth in the World Five Mile Marathon Swim.From there she continued to put Oshawa on the swimming map when she attempted Lake Ontario crossings in 1975 and 1976, trying to become the first grandmother to complete the marathon. In 1975 she came within four miles of completing the swim before being pushed back by strong winds, as documented by the Ontario Association of Solo Swims. She succumbed to a similar fate in 1976.Undeterred, Barb kept making waves, winning hundreds of medals competing in Masters Games from 1978 to 1992, winning hundreds of medals and ribbons in age group swimming. Another highlight came in 1985 when she won two silver medals and three bronze at the First World Masters Game.In addition to her competitive swimming, Barb aided Jim Kinlin with the annual \"Jim\'s Swim\", which raised more than $220,000 for leukemia research from 1977 to 1992. She was a tireless volunteer and community worker who also raised the awareness for the need for an indoor recreational pool in the south end of the City.
Year Inducted: 1986
Home Town: Oshawa
More about Barbara Underhill:
Barbara Underhill's tears of sadness turned to tears of joy in a 38-day stretch of winter in 1984. After a fall, Underhill and Paul Martini finished seventh in the pairs figure skating competition at the 1984 Olympic Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Just over five weeks later, however, Underhill and Martini thrilled a capacity crowd at Ottawa's Civic Centre with a first-place finish at the 1984 World Figure Skating Championships. The world title was the crowning achievement for a partnership which began in 1977. A year later, they won both the Canadian Junior Nationals and World Junior Nationals and World Junior competition. They won the Canadian Senior Nationals for 1979-83 inclusive and finished 11th (1979 and 1980), seventh (1981), fourth (1982), and third (1983) at the Worlds before striking gold. Underhill, a graduate of Oshawa Figure Skating Club, and Martini, also finished ninth at the 1980 Olympics.
Year Inducted: 2006
Home Town: Lansing, Michigan
More about Beatrice (Bea) Ross-Kotelko:
Beatrice (Bea) Ross-Kotelko is inducted into the Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame for her high level of excellence in 5-pin bowling. Born in Lansing, Michigan she was a resident of Oshawa for 92 years! Bea passed away in 1998. Bea was a participant in the Motor City Bowling League from 1949 - 1974. Bea won the Eastern Ontario Woman's Title 3 times. After capturing it twice in a row, she was given the Molson Cup to keep in 1955. Bea represented the Oshawa area in the Sportsmans Show competitions in 1954 and 1955. She was also a C.B.C. 5-Pin bowling show participant in 1956.
Bea was inducted into the Ontario 5-Pin Bowlers Association Hall of Fame in 1987. She shared her love of the sport and founded the Youth Bowling Council in the 1950's. Bea organized, instructed, coached and supervised mixed leagues from Bantams to Seniors. She won a high singles award in a men's tournament in Belleville in 1954, and was also named a Canadian Bowling Association representative. In 1954, Bea opened the 'Men's' Tournament for eastern Canada in Campbellford, Ontario bowling a strike in each alley.
In 1955, after losing the Sportsmans Show competition by one pin, sports columnist Dick Brett of Hamilton was moved to write this poem:
Here's to Bea Ross who didn't win,
The Molson Classic by a single pin,
For she accepted defeat with a smile and grin,
That belied the heartache she must have felt within,
So hats off to the gal, who in losing won,
The hearts of the spectators, every one.
Year Inducted: 1986
Birth Date: February 18, 1895
Home Town: Sweden
More about Benj Fallman:
Born and educated in Sweden, Benj arrived in Oshawa in 1934, and besides being a national class competitor, was instrumental in organizing track and field in Oshawa. He won five Swedish championships in the 1930's, was a 13-time Canadian Champion in the years 1937-63, and won 16 Ontario titles from 1935-60. Benj, who was the originator of the Shamrock Track and Field Club which produced so many fine competitors over the years, also won 16 YMCA championships from 1953-63. He also was instrumental in the organizing of the Oshawa Ski Club, and later was an instructor with the Club.
Year Inducted: 1986
Home Town: Oshawa
More about Bill Dell:
A Canadian Football League (CFL) official for 23 years, Oshawa-born Bill Dell was a member of six Grey Cup final officiating crews. He began his CFL tenure in 1958, working on the yardsticks and downs box - and three years later graduated to become an on-field official. His first Grey Cup game was the 1963 championship between the Hamilton Tiger Cats and the B.C. Lions. He also officiated in the 1971, 1974, 1976, 1977 and 1981 finals. Dell, who was offered a tryout by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1945, was a halfback with Oshawa Collegiate and Vocational Institute (OCVI), Oshawa Red Raiders Juniors, and Queens University. He became referee-in-chief of the Ontario Football Conference junior league a year after his retirement from the CFL in 1981. Dell, who also played Junior B hockey and senior baseball in Oshawa, was a co-founder of both the Oshawa Football Officials Association and Oshawa Basketball Officials Association.
Bill was the son of Cy Dell, a well-known local baseball umpire.
Year Inducted: 1987
Home Town: Oshawa
More about Bill Hamilton / Lance Pugh:
The Oshawa pair of Bill Hamilton and Lance Pugh, both members of the Victor Cycle Club, Oshawa, brought honour to their native city at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, England.
Bill Hamilton, born in Oshawa in 1930, was just 18 at the time of the London Olympics. Like Lance, he won many Ontario and Canadian Championships all leading up to his Olympic appearance in 1948. After the Olympics, Bill represented Canada once again; this time at the British Empire Games in New Zealand in 1950. In these trials leading up to the Empire Games, he received the Outstanding Sportsmanship Award.
Lance Pugh, born in Oshawa in 1919, had a long distinguished cycling career. He captured many Ontario and Canadian championships as well as winning the 25 mile Buffalo City Championship and the half mile Toronto Championship in 1940. His crowning achievement however, was his captaincy of the 1948 Canadian Olympic Cycling Team.
Year Inducted: 2019
Home Town: Oshawa
More about Bill Prentice:
Bill Prentice grew up in Oshawa and returned to the city following a successful professional hockey career. Bill captained the Oshawa midget hockey team to an Ontario championship in 1967 and then starred with the Oshawa Crushmen, leading them to two Eastern Ontario championships in 1968 and 1969. In 1969, he left the Oshawa Generals to accept a scholarship to Michigan Tech, where he played for four seasons. Bill was signed as a free agent by the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association (WHA) in 1973 and won back-to-back Avco Cups in 1974 and 1975. With the Aeros, he was teammates with the legendary Gordie Howe and his sons, Mark and Marty Howe. He would end up playing 158 games in the WHA and 359 games of professional hockey over seven seasons. After retiring as a player, Bill coached a high school team in Indianapolis to a state championship game before returning to Oshawa. He later coached Humber College to the national championships in Alberta.
Use any combination of Year, Sport category and/or Name to refine the display.