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April 2014 Football is coming to you say? It's already here at the Perley Rideau! By Brant Scott s football fans anxiously await Golab and Daniel Komesch earned the rebirth of professional reputations as capable World War II Afootball in Ottawa this summer, pilots with the Royal Canadian Air the Perley Rideau Seniors Village is Force. already well-stocked with gridiron Tony “Golden Boy” Golab was raised talent from yesteryear. in Windsor, and played for Our health centre is home to a Kennedy Collegiate before he became well-known star the pride and joy of the Rough Riders player and a talented chiropractor who in the 1940s. Still a sizeable and gentle worked with League man at 95, Tony is the youngest of six (CFL) warriors to speed the post-injury children. He tore up the turf for nine Brant Scott photo recovery process. In addition to their seasons with the Rough Riders during THE GOLDEN BOY: Tony exploits with the Roughies, both Tony 1939-41 and 1945-50. He played in four Golab is still remembered as See page 9 a star with the Ottawa Rough Riders in the 1940s. A winner and Spitfre pilot Perley Rideau resident wills $50,000 down twice during WWII, he remembers the action from the comfort of his room to Capital Campaign project fund at the Perley Rideau. By Brant Scott argaret Stott lived a quiet to help pay for the new independent and meaningful life after and assisted living apartments that Mshe came to from opened last year at the Perley Rideau England, and since her death on July Seniors Village on Russell Road. BU Contents 12, 2013, her legacy lives on at the The Foundation has a mandate 2 2014 Priority Needs Perley Rideau Seniors Village. to raise $5 million for the 139 3 Daniel Clapin column Ms. Stott fended of multiple apartments through its Perley Rideau 5 Akos Hofer column sclerosis in her twilight years and Capital Campaign, and Ms. Stott's 6 Mercedes-Benz lottery was a resident for three years at the generous contribution brings the 8 Foundation photos Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health campaign closer to its . Donations 12 Memorial Tributes Centre. She derived great comfort from foundations, corporations, from the care that the health centre organizations and individuals staf provided and left $50,000 to have raised nearly $2.5 million so the Perley Rideau Foundation in her far to help fnance the brand new will. Ms. Stott wanted her donation apartment buildings that house See page 4 Football is coming to Ottawa you say? ... continued from page 1 Grey Cups and helped Tony was the Ottawa Rough inducted into Riders bring home the the Canadian coveted silver mug in Football Hall 1940. of Fame in The Golden Boy 1964 and the graced the sports Canadian pages everywhere Sports Hall during his career and of Fame in won the Jef Russel 1984. He was Trophy in 1941 as named general the outstanding manager of player in the Big Four. the Montreal THE FOOTBALL PILOT: That same year, The Alouettes in Tony Golab somehow Canadian Press named 1968 and '69 managed to merge two him Canada's top male and the cake courageous careers in the athlete and gave him was properly 1940s. He was a standout on the Lionel Conacher iced when GRIDIRON PERFECTION: In the 1941 the feld and in the cockpit. Grey Cup fnal, Tony Golab booted a Award. During Tony's Tony Golab high, short punt and received his own WWII hiatus from the CFL, he played football for was made a kick for a touchdown. The feat still Ottawa Uplands in 1942 as a member of the RCAF. member of stands in the record books. After the war and back in the CFL, the 1948 the Order of record books show Tony scored nine touchdowns Canada in 1985. in 11 games. The Ottawa Citizen ran a headline The Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Museum dated September 1955 that noted, “Golden Boy's” posts the following tribute: “Anthony (Tony) Golab Number Retired When Tony Did.” The subsequent was known as the “golden boy” during his football story explained that his famed #72 was retired and career. He was one of the game’s fnest backfelders hung up for good. Many and was All-Canadian almost every year he played. of the photos from Tony's Golab appeared in four Grey Cup games, but the playing days bear another 1941 contest was the most memorable. After kicking name of distinction – a high, short punt, Golab rushed up and recovered Ottawa's Yousuf Karsh. the ball, then ran it in for a touchdown. After being A man of eclectic talents seriously wounded during the Second World War, Tony still loved the Golab returned to star on the gridiron for several more game after he left the CFL seasons.” and enjoyed developing The Great Canadian Book of Lists places Tony the young bodies and Golab on the top 10 list of the best pre-1950 CFL minds of players on the players. It gushes, “Ottawa's “Golden Boy” (was) a Hamilton Panthers semi- powerful runner who could carry a team with his play pro football team. He or on his back.” The CFL web site notes that Tony was COLLECTOR CARD: went on to coach the 6'2” and weighed 210 pounds in his prime. Ottawa children in the '40s Royal Military College Tony's wartime record was no less impressive than all wanted a football card team in Kingston and was his CFL career. He few tactical reconnaissance over like this one. Tony Golab was mobbed after games later appointed vice- war-torn landscapes in Egypt, North Africa and Italy for for autographs from principal of St. Paul's High four years. One day, fying at 5,000 feet taking photos admirers young and old. School in . of German troops on the move in Egypt, a plane slid

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"QSJMt#FUXFFO6T t 9 Football is coming to Ottawa you say? ... continued from page 9 in behind Tony's a lot of touchdowns,” he chuckles. “I used to spend Spitfre. The pilot nearly an hour signing autographs after every game. lit up the Spitfre There was always a big crowd outside the stadium with his guns that went right down the stairs. There were a lot of and Tony had to pretty girls there, too, looking for dates. They tried quickly bail out everything, but I was married man.” and hit the silk. Tony enjoyed his dual career as an RCAF pilot He cursed and Rough Rider after the war and retired from CFL aloud when he action in 1950. He worked with the RCAF in Ottawa saw his plane and Hamilton as he made his way up through the had been shot air force chain of command. By 1958, Tony was Chief down by an Administration Ofcer at RCAF 14 Wing Greenwood in inexperienced Nova Scotia. and confused In 1960, he became Chief Administrative Ofcer American at the advance fying school in Saskatoon and was pilot. Tony was named Commanding Ofcer just two years later. fying tactical By 1966, Wing Commander Tony Golab joined the reconnaissance planning staf for the Western NORAD Region at HALL OF FAME BOUND: Tony in Italy later in McChord Air Force Base in Washington state and “Golden Boy” Golab was inducted the war when Hamilton Air Force Base in California as battle into the Canadian Football Hall of his plane was commander. Fame and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. When he retired from the hit by German In his advanced years, Tony fondly recalls Ottawa Rough Riders, so did his ground fre his passion for both the RCAF and the pursuit of famed jersey number 72. and exploded excellence in sports. He says he was driven by a role just behind the model he admires to this day – his own sister. cockpit. He was “I was forced once again to bail out, this time taking shrapnel always striving in his right knee. Tony was reported missing in to follow in action as he was receiving quiet care from the Italian the footsteps resistance movement. Sitting in his room in the Perley of my sister, Rideau's dementia unit all these years later, Tony Genevieve,” rolls up a pant leg and points to his misshapen knee. says Tony. “She Heaven knows how he built a football career on that won an award knee when he returned to Canada. as Canada's “This knee has hurt since that day I bailed out,” he outstanding says with a smile. “I had a brace on it. But, the photos female athlete were important. Our intelligence people passed them in on to the army generals so they knew exactly what and track and they were going to run into on the ground.” feld. She was Returning to Canada and sports about four years When Tony's war years ended, he returned home older than me to his wife, Frances, on King Edward Avenue in Ottawa. and she was Brant Scott photo Canadian newspapers announced his return to Ottawa tremendous, PROUD AIRMAN: Star football and local Rough Riders cheering fans turned out in always making players don't get medals, but droves when their favourite gridiron hero and war headlines in the seasoned RCAF airmen do. Tony Golab was a WWII pilot who enjoyed a veteran took to the feld once more. sports pages. productive Canadian Forces career for “I was a fullback, so I carried the ball a lot and got I always said I several decades.

10 t #FUXFFO6Tt"QSJM wished I could do taught him him loops and rolls.” that.” Daniel married his wife, Mary, in 1944, who was And so he did. a chartered accountant. Mary had a stroke in recent When asked if he years and lives at the Longfelds Manor in Barrhaven has any advice to now. She was the engine behind putting Daniel share with the new through fve years of Chiropractic College after the war. players soon to Graduating in 1950, the Komesches moved descend on the to Ottawa and Daniel opened a clinic on Metcalfe nation's capital, Street. He hooked up with the Ottawa Rough Riders Tony paused for and worked the sidelines at home and out-of-town a moment, then games for many years. His reputation for helping ofered. “I would athletes spread quickly and soon there was a steady tell them to play stream of players into his private clinic from other CFL for the love of the teams. Daniel also treated a who's who of ballerinas, PILOT AND INSTRUCTOR: game, instead politicians and other local celebrities before he retired. Daniel Komesch was an RCAF of only thinking Dr. Komesch won his own Grey Cup ring in 1960 pilot and fight instructor during about their own when a young led the Rough Riders to WWII. He later worked with the career. You play Ottawa Rough Riders as team a 16 to 6 victory over the Edmonton Eskimos. Dr. Dan chiropractor. better when you later became part of the medical staf with the Ottawa love the game.” Gee Gees football team and won a Vanier Cup ring in Playing from the sidelines 2000. He worked with the Ottawa Bootleggers semi- Dr. Daniel Komesch travelled with the Ottawa pro team during their short 1988-92 tenure. Rough Riders a decade after Tony Golab hung up his Staying on his feet all day took its toll over the cleats. Dr. Komesch ran a well-known chiropractic years and Dr. Komesch collapsed in his clinic when clinic in Ottawa, and could often be found hovering his legs gave out from fesh eating disease. When over damaged CFL players on and of the feld. His specialists wanted to amputate, his son Donald parents came to Canada from Romania in 1912 and asked them to explore any other possible solution. he was born in Swift Current, Saskatchewan four years After extensive surgeries, Daniel still has his legs and later. continues to enjoy visits with friends and family at the As a teenager, Daniel made his way to Trail, B.C. Perley Rideau. and still holds the record for the 400-yard dash at The Perley Rideau Seniors Village welcomes the his old school. He went on to play hockey with the Ottawa Redblacks to town. We are pleased to provide scrappy Trail Smoke Eaters in 1935-39, and the team all the comforts of home for two former Rough Riders still cranks out talented young players today. who helped to pave the way before you. Daniel Komesch joined the RCAF to do his part Have a great ! BU in WWII and is a popular fgure in the Perley Rideau dementia unit. He got his wings in Regina in 1940 and trained pilots in Canada throughout the war to prepare them for action. In addition to being a test pilot, he trained new recruits in Harvards and Tiger Moths serving in Regina, Moose Jaw, Portage la Prairie, Trenton and then Pendleton Airport just east of Ottawa.

“He used to fy eight hours a day every day,” says Brant Scott photo his proud son, Donald Komesch. “The trained American pilots, too. One time Dad heard THE CHATTING DANS: Dr. Daniel Komesch discusses his that a young American student pilot was hungover illustrious career with Perley Rideau Foundation Executive Director Daniel Clapin. Dr. Komesch won a Grey Cup ring from drinking the night before, so that was the day he in 1960.

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