Joey Payeur
There have been surefire guarantees to accompany every summer season in Rainy River District for the past many years.
The weather always has been unpredictable. The mosquitoes always have been intolerable. And Ethel Bujold, almost without fail, always has been on hand to take in the proceedings at the Devlin Ball Park.
That last guarantee—tragically—was crossed from the list as of Sunday. Ethel (she would have good-naturedly chastised me if I didn’t call her by her first name in this column, or any other time for that matter) succumbed to natural causes, surrounded by loved ones in her room at La Verendrye Hospital.
Hers is a sporting legacy that was not built on the foundation of on-field accomplishments, but of her undeniable and constant presence during every slo-pitch softball season for the past . . . well, I’m not sure you can attach a number to the years or the number of games for which Ethel was a spectator.
It seems like she has occupied her favourite front-row centre spot on the bleachers forever, and everyone who played in the game in front of her, or watched the game sitting by her, just assumed she would continue to be there for many more years to come.
But, come the 2012 season, that won’t be the case anymore. And all of us who have known her over the years will be poorer for it.
Ethel had a love for the game that transcended the comprehension of most of us. We’re not talking about someone who headed down to the ballpark a time or two to make the most of a nice summer evening. The Devlin Slo-pitch League runs four nights a week for three months and you would have been hard-pressed to go wrong if you bet on Ethel being there pretty much every single night (as well as the entire annual mid-season weekend tournament).
Oh, there were exceptions. On the odd night better suited for ducks than double plays or when one of her favourite TV shows was on, Ethel might have taken a pass. But in the course of multiple seasons, you probably wouldn’t need all the fingers on both hands to count how many times she was absent from the ballpark.
That was just the way Ethel was. Whether regarding the league, her church, or just simply being a good and kind person to all she met, Ethel’s level of dedication was astounding.
Her presence at the ballpark always was appreciated by both players and fellow fans. Ethel enjoyed the company of the other spectators and always had kind words for anybody who made a good play on the field—regardless of what team they played on.
She played no favourites, which is what made her such a favourite of all those who knew her.
Think of all the people we encounter during her lives. Now think of how few of them we honestly can say we never heard a bad word spoken about. Ethel was one of those few.
To say she will be missed doesn’t begin to describe what we, who play in that league every summer, will be feeling when it’s time to hit the field once again. To not see her in her usual spot with that twinkle in her eye and that ever-present smile—well, it’s hard to even picture it right now.
But as former league president Ron Kellar mentioned to me on Monday, when you think of it, Ethel still will be there. She’ll just have the best seat in the house, watching over all of us—just like she always did.
Thanks, Ethel. We’ll all play to make you proud—and that’s a guarantee.
