If there are gates to the entry of the afterlife, it's a good bet that Jack Kenwell will be waiting to greet you with a smile as you enter.
Kenwell died on Thursday and leaves behind a local legacy that will be remembered for some time.
He was 90 years old.
The keeper of the gates, Kenwell may be most familiar to some as the smiling face at the Barrie Baycats games who took your tickets for the last 20 years.
Having lived in Barrie since the early 1950s and being heavily involved in the community, Kenwell’s daughter, Catherine, told BarrieToday that it could be a bit time-consuming when heading for a day in town with her father.
“Everybody knew Dad, like everybody. So what should be a quick trip to a store would be a lot longer because he would inevitably see someone he knew,” Catherine said. “Usually more than just one or two, so you had to actually plan to leave earlier so Dad would be able to stop and talk, which he liked to do.”
Catherine, who was often seen by her dad’s side at Baycats games, said her father had some few health issues going on in his final weeks, but one that surprised her and the family because he wouldn’t bring it up to anyone.
“We didn’t know at the time that he had actually broken two vertebrae in his back (from a fall) and he was still trying to walk around, and doing so fairly successfully,” she said. “That's the kind of guy he was, he would just keep going and try not to make a fuss.”
Kenwell was married to his wife, Denise, for 63 years before her death in 2015. They had two children, John and Catherine, two grandchildren, and one great-grandson.
Involved in sports for more than 50 years, Kenwell played baseball and basketball early in his life and was heavily involved in hockey through playing, officiating, coaching, and even overseeing the game in a board role in different leagues.
In 1973, he received the Wes Allsopp Memorial Trophy for his contributions to the Barrie Minor Hockey Association.
As Legion Minor Hockey Association chairman, he grew the LMHA to 1,300 players. He also spent several years as the organization’s referee-in-chief.
He retired from sports play at age 83 from Barrie’s Wrinkled Warriors, a seniors’ slo-pitch team he helped establish and which played throughout the province as well as in Michigan and New York.
Former Baycats president David Mills says he met Jack and Denise Kenwell for the first time in 2001 and that they were the club’s first volunteers for taking tickets at the gate.
“Jack always had a smile and twinkle in his eyes; he loved to chat with people," Mills told BarrieToday. "There would be 35 people waiting in line to get in and Jack would talk to everyone. Fans just loved him. He was clearly our Baycats ambassador.
“Jack always had a quick wit that easily made me laugh. I will cherish those memories," Mills added. "He will be missed by all who knew him, especially the Baycats organization.”
Catherine said her father's giving nature in sports was instilled in him from a young age from a giving family.
“Story has it that when my grandparents lived in the Holly neighbourhood, they owned a gas station and I’ve heard from so many people that if you had ever needed a place to stay or were hungry and needed something to eat, it was the place to go,” she said.
“I think that is where Dad got it, because he and Mom would drop everything to help someone when it was needed.”
Catherine also believes her dad’s nurturing nature came from losing his parents early in life and having to raise his brothers.
“Can you imagine at age 24 or 25 being the guardian and provider for your two younger siblings? But he did it. He and Mom raised his teen and pre-teen brothers along with their own kids,” she said.
Kenwell worked at General Tire for 35 years and spent many of those years negotiating employee wages and benefits as Local president of the United Rubber Workers. He also tirelessly worked to keep former employees in benefits for the rest of their lives.
After Kenwell retired, he continued volunteering at Parkview Seniors’ Centre and the Royal Victoria Hospital Auxiliary.
“I always knew where to find him at fundraising events,” said Catherine. “There were often barbecues at these things and sure enough, Dad would be behind the grill making sure everyone was fed.”
While Catherine will dearly miss her father, she says his legacy will keep his memory alive for a long time to come.
“It is remarkable how many people have expressed their sadness at Dad’s passing,” she said. “He touched so many lives and made so many people happy, and I will cherish that forever.”
Cremation has taken place and there will be no formal memorial.
Donations can be made in Kenwell's memory to Jumpstart Charities.
