Phoebe Hay

Born in 1938 to parents Jerry and Phebe Quesnel, Phoebe Hay was one of the youngest of 15 children growing up on a farm in Lochiel. She started her sport life playing soccer and softball.

“Families were big back then,” says daughter Wendy Hay who appreciates her mom’s passion for sports. “They played on the Davison farm field because they had a lot of kids too. Two families would be enough to have a game and teams were formed by where you lived.” Young girls on the road got together to form the Lochiel softball team.

Hay excelled as defence on one of the original soccer teams with Barbie (Hay) McCormick and was coached by Hubert Hay, Harry Best and Ann-Margaret Hay. She went out west to work as a nanny at 16 years old, but was drawn back to Glengarry two years later.

She married Edwin Hay and together they started their farm with eight milk cows and eventually four children. A member of a large Lochiel family himself, Edwin also played in farm fields, but does not recall playing against the woman he would eventually marry.

“She did it all,” says Wendy. “She drove us to all our soccer and hockey games, cheered us on, helped in the barn, was a member of the hockey board, was involved in different sports and even suited up in full hockey gear to face off with brothers during minor hockey week in 1973.” But that wasn't all. Hay started playing broom ball in the early 70s and won most valuable player (MVP) after helping her team win the Ottawa House trophy. She curled and golfed from 18975 to 2000 and enjoyed many championships in both sports. Hay participated in the Wilfred Menard Memorial, several Ladies Challenges, the Stanley Gauthier competition, the Glengarry Curling Cup and the Joe Roy Memorial where she won the Ryan Armature Trophy. She was presented with the closest to the pin award in the twilight golf league in 1984, club championship in 1985, placed second in the Angus H. MacDonald tourney, was handicap champion in 1990 and 1991 and went on to win and excel in both sports for many years, as well as being vice-president for the entertainment and publicity board of the golf club. There seems to be nothing this athlete couldn't do.

According to grandson Tyler Hay, she’s as good in the kitchen as she is on the field. Wendy remembers her nephew coming to the house just for the food. “Grandma, you’re a good cook!” he said on many occasions. According to Wendy, there wasn't much her mom wouldn't do, except for one thing. “She didn't like horses,” says Wendy who now keeps four ponies and two paint horses on the family farm that is still operated by her two brothers, Darryl and Glen. Other brother Scott lives near Alexandria.

And to top off the list of incredible contributions Phoebe Hay has made to the community, she was a member and strong supporter of the United Church at Kirk Hill for many years.
“She loved her sports,” comments Wendy. “Golf was her favourite, but what she loved the most was the people she played with.”
Phoebe passed away years ago of cancer, but her legacy lives on. All four children and seven grandchildren are avid athletes and carry on their mother and grandmother’s love of Glengarry sport