The Winnipeg Jets customized a memorial jersey for Nello Altomare with a number that nods to the hockey superfan’s final role as Manitoba’s 35th minister of education.
Roughly 1,000 mourners who packed into Transcona Country Club for a public funeral Wednesday learned the career educator died shortly after the Jets’ 6-1 victory against the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 14.
The game marked his family’s final group viewing of their favourite team — an activity that typically involved the father of two adult children standing and yelling at the TV in their Transcona home.
Altomare, who was in blood-cancer remission, spent his last 4 1/2 years living with complications from chemotherapy. He was 61.
In a eulogy, Jason Drysdale described his longtime teacher friend and floor hockey teammate’s pride in declaring Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck was “the best goalie in the league.”
Drysdale recalled Altomare and Barb, the love of his life, attended a game at the Winnipeg Arena on one of their first dates.
The couple was devastated when Manitoba lost its NHL team in 1996, one year before they got married, he said. In the same vein, the Jets’ 2011 return was met with ecstasy inside the household of hockey fans, Drysdale said as he read aloud a tribute that was co-written by himself and Barb.
The eulogy was delivered about halfway through the 90-minute service inside a banquet hall decorated with the official flags of Canada, Italy, Treaty One Nations, Métis and Manitoba.
The navy blue sweater with the No. 35 and his last name on it was also on display. So was a black-and-white portrait, floral arrangements and a star blanket that was gifted to Altomare when he fell ill.
The NDP MLA for Transcona was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma shortly after he was first elected to represent the constituency, his lifelong home, in 2019.
Owing to complications from chemotherapy and a related surgery, he went on medical leave in October.
Altomare told the Free Press he originally planned to rest so he could return to the Manitoba Legislative Building before January. Instead, his health declined rapidly.
PC education critic Grant Jackson said he was touched that Altomare pulled him aside following his final day in the chamber to urge him to continue asking tough questions.
“(Politicians) don’t have a lot of interactions like that,” Jackson said, adding that conversation reflected Altomare’s unique collegiality and character.
Rev. Jeff Cook and Rev. Rob Reed, both of whom have connections to Transcona Memorial United Church (where Altomare was married and remained an active volunteer) presided over the celebration of life.
Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine, Indigenous Futures Minister Ian Bushie and Premier Wab Kinew spoke at the event.
Kinew reminisced about live-texting with Altomare as they watched Jets games.
The NDP leader spoke about wanting to hang a Jets jersey in his party’s caucus room at 450 Broadway in honour of Altomare.
The premier keeps a framed photo of Danielle Adams, a Thompson MLA who died in a 2021 car crash, in his office.
He said he was a proponent of retiring No. 35 from the Jets franchise “because there will never be another one like (Altomare).”
