John MacDonell

Angus John Macdonell and his wife, the former Catharine J. Campbell, homesteaded on their farm at Baltic’s Corners, on the fringe of Greenfield, Maxville and Dunvegan.

On October 4, 1893, their family was blessed with a baby son, later christened in Greenfield and named John Alexander.

From primary school onward, this young lad was known as “John Alex Angus John,” to differentiate from the other Macs and Mcs, a Glengarry tradition.

John Alex was a talented student and athlete, but his education was interupted during World War One. Barely of voting age, John Alex Macdonell exchanged classroom studies for army drill and served in the trenches of France until cease-fire, November 11, 1918.

After the war John Alex enrolled at Queen’s University, Kingston. He played soccer with the Golden Gaels intercollegiate team and was noted for his skill in dribbling the ball as he set up scoring plays. During summer holidays, John Alex played third base with the Greenfield baseball nine, about the only baseball organization in Glengarry’s sport history. Their home field was the present location of the Kenyon Township garage.

Graduating from Queen’s with a B.A. degree, teacher John Alex Macdonell taught in Pembroke for a while. In the meantime, his brother “Angus Angus John,” sold the family home and purchased a farm just west of Walter Blaney’s on the north side of Maxville road. This was 1924 and football in Glengarry, played as exhibition games since day one, was now organized as the Glengarry Football (later soccer) League. John Alex, now residing within sight of Maxville, played with the village team under the direction of Benny Villeneuve.

It wasn’t all football during summer holidays. John Alex played lacrosse with the Alexandria intermediate champions in 1925-26. We remember this lanky, rugged fielder as a solid defence and offence handler of the gutted stick, always in superb condition, seemingly able to run all afternoon without tiring. First 12-man lacrosse, then 10 and finally hockey box style, John Alex retired before the era of box lacrosse.

In 1938 soccer officials persuaded John Alex Macdonell to assume the presidency of the Glengarry Soccer League. In the ensuing 16 years John A. successfully guided the destiny of Glengarry soccer, despite a few tempestuous periods. During World War 2 when teams were depleted to enlistments, John Alex kept the game alive with exhibition games against army teams. The leader’s achievement drew admiration, not at home but in Ottawa.

As a result, this writer and Geo Mercer and others of Ottawa initiated a playoff series between Ottawa’s Glengarry top teams at the close of the summer schedule. We approached president “John Alex A. John” and he became so enthusiastic with the expansion play idea those playoffs were the highlight of Glengarry soccer for several years. we donated the challenge trophy known as the Angus H. McDonell Shield, home and home games. Goals to decide the winner.

All was well until Sunday afternoon, February 5, 1951. The widely known and highly respected athlete, soccer executive leader and Lochiel school teacher, “John Alex Angus John” was no more. He died suddenly as the result of a heart attack.