Gwen Morris
Sports have always been a part of Gwen Morris’ life, from games of shinny on the streets of Maxville where she was raised, to the cinder tracks and hockey arena of local politics. After graduating from Maxville Public School, Morris attended Maxville School where a great coach influenced her life. The combination of Bill L’Heureux as coach and Morris as athlete proved successful. Morris’ name is engraved five years in a row on the old Maxville High School Cup, emblematic of the highest achievement at the junior, intermediate and senior levels. Her winning events were the 50-yard dash, the high jump, the broad jump and the softball throw. She was also president of the High School Athletic Association.
There was no hockey team in Maxville so Morris decided to organize a girls’ hockey league composed of teams from Maxville and the neighboring communities of Hawkesbury, Vankleek Hill and Alexandria. She captained the Maxville team to an undefeated year and won the league scoring title.
After her graduation from Grade 13 in 1942, Morris attended Ottawa Normal School, graduating in 1943. Fellow students learned to appreciate her drive and her Irish wit, as they wrote in her yearbook: “And then there’s Gwen, full of Irish humor and wit; when there’s work to be done, she just can’t quit.”
After teaching for two years in one-room school house at St. Elmo East, she enrolled at Queen’s University in 1945. Morris won all track and field events in her first year at Queen’s and won the trophy for highest points. She captained the girl’s softball and hockey teams. The hockey team was undefeated and Morris captured the scoring title. She also broke the record in softball throw.
During the pioneer years of minor hockey in Alexandria and district, 1959-1965, Morris was president for six years. She coached both at the sprite and peewee levels. The peewees brought home the silverware from the Lake Placid International peewee tournament in both 1964 and 1965.
After her minor hockey exploits, Morris’ sporting activities began to wind down. She returned to Maxville as an elementary school teacher in 1965, where she stayed until she retired after a 35-year teaching career. During this period she decided to resume her studies first in special education, then working towards her bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Queen’s University, and finally obtaining her Master’s in Education. However, this and her family duties did not deter her from one last hurrah in a ladies softball league in Alexandria where she played catcher with Zoe Grant’s Red Devils, a team that went on to win the league championship. In her retirement years, she turned her energies to yet another theme – that of local politics. Morris offered her services to Kenyon township in early 1990s and after two terms, was elected Reeve in 1995. She was the first woman reeve in the 200 year history of the township. The rough and tumble of politics was a fitting conclusion to a life filled to the brim with the spirit of competition.
When Morris is not trying to keep track of her great grandchildren and 24 grandchildren she can be seen walking or )if you look closely) jogging down the 4th of Kenyon. But she is most at peace skiing through her evergreen bush under the stars on a wintry evening much as she used to, long ago, on her way home to Maxville from teaching in the one-room rural school in St. Elmo East. What better portrait would there be for this deserving entry into the Glengarry Sports Hall of Fame?
Gwen Morris passed away on February 28th, 2014.
