By all of it, Lois and his youngsters — Shelley, Steve, Scott and Sue Ann — had been all the time his first precedence
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Douglas Mitchell will likely be remembered for his devotion to folks and Calgary.
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The titan of sport and neighborhood died on the age of 83 on July 20, and on Thursday, Calgary had the chance to pay correct tribute to one in every of its icons.
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“The passing of any life is a second of disappointment, particularly for the family members it’s onerous, however at this time I believe that disappointment is tempered by power and is overwhelmed by the legacy of a protracted life, nicely lived and filled with accomplishment,” former prime minister Stephen Harper stated in a ceremony on the Jack Singer Live performance Corridor, full with an look by the Gray Cup.
The Calgary native attended Colorado Faculty on a hockey scholarship and graduated with a enterprise diploma. He went on to check regulation on the College of British Columbia, performed soccer for the UBC Thunderbirds, and met his spouse, Lois, who served as Alberta’s lieutenant-governor from 2015 to 2020.
He performed briefly with the Canadian Soccer League’s B.C. Lions and Hamilton Tiger-Cats earlier than shifting residence to lift his 4 youngsters with Lois and pursue a authorized profession that spanned six a long time.
By all of it, Lois and his youngsters — Shelley, Steve, Scott and Sue Ann — had been all the time his first precedence.
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“I can inform you the position that he was proudest of was the position of a household man, of a husband, of a father and of a grandfather,” stated Shelley. “A extra devoted, dedicated, caring husband and father you might by no means discover. He deeply and unconditionally loves his youngsters and his spouse, and everyone knows it.”
Whereas his enjoying profession had wrapped up, he was simply starting to impression the sports activities neighborhood.
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He served as CFL commissioner from 1984 to 1988, was awarded the Order of Canada in 2004 and has been inducted into each the Alberta and Canada Sports activities Corridor of Fames, in addition to the Canadian Soccer Corridor of Fame final month. U Sports activities, the nationwide governing physique for college sports activities in Canada, additionally renamed its athlete of the yr awards in honour of Doug and Lois, whereas one in every of its soccer semifinals is called the Mitchell Bowl in his honour.
He’s additionally credited with serving to mentor many within the enterprise and sports activities communities, serving to to breathe new life into the Calgary Stampeders within the 2000s and later assist revitalize his hometown’s spirit within the midst of a recession and a failed push to mount a 2018 Olympic bid.
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The tribute was hosted by Dave Kelly and Gary Mar, and remarks got here in from the who’s-who of Alberta and Canadian sport, together with Harper, Premier Jason Kenney, Hayley Wickenheiser, former Manitoba premier Gary Filmon, John Murphy — the nationwide managing associate and CEO at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP — CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie, Keeper of the Gray Cup Jeff McWhinney, and Scott Thon — president of operations at Berkshire Hathaway Power Canada.
Harper met Mitchell within the Eighties when Doug was already a pillar of the neighborhood in Calgary.
He pointed to Mitchell’s motto of “learn to be a group participant, be unselfish and put others’ wants forward of your individual.”
“Doug succeeded in so many issues as a result of those that had been with him additionally succeeded,” Harper stated.
Kenney pointed to the partnership Mitchell had along with his spouse, to the purpose the place Lois requested an image of Doug be integrated into her official portrait on the legislature.
“Let it’s stated that in our 117-year historical past as a province . . . no viceregal representatives have labored more durable or took on the position with extra gusto as people, and Doug was there each step of the way in which — or ought to I say three steps behind,” stated Kenney.
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Wickenheiser considers him a mentor for her profession, which incorporates successful 5 Olympic gold medals, not too long ago being named assistant common supervisor of the Toronto Maple Leafs and a residency in palliative care.
“Once I take into consideration Doug, I take into consideration a person that has lived his life with unbelievable kindness, with braveness to do the best factor and say the best factor when it was usually not fashionable,” she stated. “We honour the way in which that he carried himself as a father and as a grandfather, as a neighborhood chief and as a mentor.”
Filmon and his spouse, Manitoba Lt.-Gov. Janice Filmon, have been longtime associates of the Mitchells.
“I might have given my eye enamel to have Doug Mitchell on my group in Manitoba,” he stated.
Ambrosie credited Mitchell’s efforts in saving the CFL within the ’90s and serving to to construct the Stampeders into one of many league’s finest franchises.
He first met him in 1985 as a rookie enjoying sort out for Calgary on the Shriner’s and Stampeders Golf Traditional. He’ll miss sitting at video games with Mitchell with their widespread bond of being commissioner.
“The factor I liked probably the most about it’s once we had been speaking concerning the league, I knew that Doug knew what it’s like, and that’s that feeling of empathy, that connectedness that Doug and I had, as a result of we shared this job on this league that we each liked a lot,” he stated. “It was a really particular a part of doing this job and I’ll miss these days very a lot.”
Murphy stated Mitchell’s management impressed generations of legal professionals in Calgary and throughout Canada and famous he was instrumental in forming the BLG regulation agency and was its founding nationwide chair.
“He was a visionary chief within the authorized business,” stated Murphy.
Thon stated there have been instances when Mitchell would get pissed off, nevertheless it was all the time for good motive.
“The instances that I used to be with grumpy Doug was when he was upset that somebody couldn’t see the potential they’d,” he stated. “They couldn’t see what was potential for our neighborhood. That’s what I really like.”
Twitter: @JoshAldrich03
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