Former Gryphon All Canadian offensive lineman, and coach, Jeff Hale lost his battle with brain cancer yesterday. We knew this was coming but it is still saddening when you hear the news.
Hale fought the good fight against his cancer diagnosis for almost six years. Hale leaves behind his wife Robin and two sons – Nick and Calvin.
If you were at Gryphon Football’s Wildman Dinner back in January, you would have heard Nick and Calvin bring a message from their father. The award given out each year to a top high school coach in Ontario was re-named in Jeff Hale’s honour. His wife and two of his sisters also attended.
Over his Gryphon career Hale was named a team captain twice – 1979 & 1982, and he was an OUAA All Star in both 1981 and 1982. In 1981 he was also selected as an All Canadian. Following his playing career Hale remained with the Gryphons for two seasons assisting with the coaching of the offensive line. Hale, who now lives in Orillia, has spent the past thirty or so years with the Ontario Provincial Police.
#69 Jeff Hale manhandling a Mustang defender
Hale was a long-time community football coach with the Huronia Stallions after his playing and coaching years in Guelph were done.
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I’ve written about Hale’s courageous fight with cancer previously, including back in 2014 when I shared this …
The past two and a half years of Hale’s life have been engaged in a battle of another sort – the fight against cancer. Hale has been through two sessions of chemotherapy and one of radiation treatment. Hale begins another six weeks of radiation in January. As always Hale is still fighting with all he’s got. No doubt he would appreciate the prayers of the Guelph family, as well as words of encouragement from his Gryphon brothers.
Hale thanked me on several occasions for writing this. He heard from many of his former teammates and friends, and was overwhelmed by their love and support.
Then last November, a dozen teammates who traveled to Orillia to see him.
Gathered with Jeff Hale (seated, wearing red 2015 Yates Cup Champs sweatshirt) are (standing, left to right) the Reverend Jeff Inglis, Carm Sferazza, Calvin Hale (Jeff’s youngest son), Jeff Crampton, Sam Benincasa, Mike Eykens, Mike Hudson, Ken Courtney and Matt Vine. Kneeling or seated are Dr. Scott Hobson, Wayne Laidlaw, Randy Dimitroff, Hale and Mitch Chuvalo.
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