In Memoriam: George Kallay

RED DEER - George Kallay, a former Hockey Alberta board member and Chair of the Hockey Alberta Foundation board, passed away on Saturday, July 18 at the age of 74.

In addition to his roles with Hockey Alberta and the Hockey Alberta Foundation, George served as a player, parent, referee, volunteer and executive member with Hockey Canada for more than two decades.

For his service to hockey in Alberta, George was inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015. His other accolades include a Hockey Alberta Development Award in 2005, a Hockey Alberta Centennial Award in 2007, Hockey Canada Volunteer of the Year in 2008, and the Alberta Cup 25th Anniversary Builders Award in 2011.

George’s resume with Hockey Alberta and Hockey Canada is immense, as he served as Vice Chair of Hockey Development for Hockey Alberta from 1998-2003, the Chair of the Hockey Alberta Foundation from 2005-2009, and Chair of the Hockey Canada Development Committee from 2005-2008. He also spent many years with the Team Alberta program in various roles, and was Director of Operations for the gold-medal winning Team Alberta U16 Male at the 1999 Canada Winter Games, and was once again inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018 as a member of that group.

RED DEER – Bob Clark, a Life Member of Hockey Alberta, and a member of the 2020 Induction Class of the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame, passed away on Thursday, July 9 at the age of 83.

Bob Clark’s Obituary >

Bob, a resident of Carstairs, was involved in hockey in Alberta for more than half a century, displaying a passion for growing and improving the game for athletes and administrators.

Bob got his start as a goaltender in minor hockey, and served as a coach, general manager, administrator and committee member at the local, provincial and national levels. His involvement included work with Carstairs Minor Hockey, Hockey Alberta, and the Hockey Alberta Foundation.

Bob was the face of Junior A hockey in Alberta. From 1987-95, Bob was general manager of the Olds Grizzlys who captured three Alberta Junior Hockey League championships and the Centennial Cup in 1994. Bob also served as team president for two years. Bob served as the AJHL’s board chair and Hockey Alberta’s Junior A Committee chair, and was a special advisor to the AJHL, and director with the Friends of Alberta Junior Hockey Scholarship Program.

In Bob’s professional life, he was elected to the Alberta Legislature in 1960, and in 1966, he was appointed Alberta’s (and Canada’s) first-ever Minister of Youth. As Minister, Bob commissioned a study with the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association on the state of hockey in the Province. Recommendations from this report led to the development of coaching and refereeing clinics across Western Canada.

Among his other numerous accolades, Bob was inducted into the Alberta Amateur Sports Hall of Fame in 1974, received Hockey Alberta’s President’s Award in 2003 and Centennial Award in 2007, received Hockey Canada’s Outstanding Volunteer Award in 2009, was the Chair of the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee for four years, and was a member of Hockey Alberta Foundation Board of Directors for six years.

During Bob’s involvement in hockey, he was strongly supported by the wife of 55 years Norma, their two children Dean and Donna, and their families.

Expressions of sympathy can be sent to PO Box 553, Carstairs, AB T0M 0N0.

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