Sir: I was reading your various articles in The Chatham Voice recently regarding The Kraft Hockeyville celebrations in Chatham.
I had to settle for watching the events on television and reading about them in the paper, and am glad that I was able to help out with the vote for both ends of the competition.
One thing though, we should remember some of those who maybe were not there but contributed to the history of Memorial Arena. There are many of those, but one who comes to mind, is another superfan, Roy Baldwick.
Roy is is retired now, but when I would be fortunate enough to go to Maroons game in recent years, Roy was always there, sitting on a folding chair or on his scooter, on the upper walkway near the south end of the arena.
Roy used to for many years do a lot of odd jobs for the Maroons. But Roy was much more than a volunteer for the Maroons. He would follow the team, both at home and on the road. He knew the players and could recount many events during the years he was involved with the team. The players and others who followed the Maroons all knew Roy and respected him for is devotion to the team, win or lose.
Roy had other work during the years I knew him, but the Maroons teams were his passion.
I don’t know if he was the original Maroons super fan, as the Maroons historically go back to the 1920s era, but he certainly was and still is respected for his devotion to the Maroons teams during the period that he helped out with the team. Plus, he is a part of the history of the Chatham Maroons as well as Memorial Arena in Chatham.
I am glad to have known Roy Baldwick.
Frank Doyle
Chatham
