The recent passing of Larry Hopwo has saddened the sports community in Chemainus.
Perhaps best known for his contributions to baseball, Hopwo also devoted his energy to hockey and figure skating in Chemainus. His involvement with sports dates back seven decades.
Former Chemainus Valley Courier and Cowichan News-Leader sportswriter Don Bodger noted that Hopwo’s shoes with be difficult to fill.
“He’s an iconic figure in sports history around Chemainus and Saltair,” Bodger posted on social media.
“I photographed and interviewed Larry many times for newspaper articles over the years. His devotion was second to none.”
Bodger noted that Hopwo has been a fixture at Fuller Lake Arena since its opening in 1967 with his involvement in figure skating and hockey and the operation of his skate sharpening booth.
“Larry also devoted more than five decades to the Chemainus & District Baseball Association, with the bulk of those years spent as president.”
A member of the North Cowichan/Duncan Sports Wall of Fame, Bodger says Hopwo was always there for the kids in some capacity.
In an article published in the Chemainus Valley Courier in 2023, Bodger noted that Hopwo’s tenure as president of the Chemainus & District Baseball Association began in 1970. At the age of 83, he retired in 2022 and was replaced by his nephew JonAaron Hopwo.
Before he took on a leadership role with the Association, Hopwo was a player and coach, Bodger wrote.
“The bantam boys team he played on won the B.C. championship in 1954 and he enjoyed many successes as a coach during the heyday in the region for baseball and softball.
“Bantam girls teams he coached along with Don Davis won two Vancouver Island championships in a row.
“And then there were the individual personal achievements from coaching, in one case with his son Brett in 1981 and seeing some players blossom during a playoff championship run.”
As well as his long run with the baseball club, Hopwo served as president of both the Fuller Lake hockey association and the figure skating organization.
He was a familiar face for a least two generations of hockey players in his role as skate sharpener at Fuller Lake Arena, a job he enjoyed for 40 years.
The family has planned a celebration of life for Larry Hopwo on Sunday, August 10 from 11 a.m to 1 p.m. at the Chemainus baseball park.
(Thanks to Don Bodger for his contribution to this article)