Joe Holody will forever be remembered for his impact on hockey in Guelph.
But as the human being, many are remembering him for his generosity and kindness. And that amount of support is being reflected in the number of condolences pouring into the family over the past 24 hours.
Joe, the Guelph Sports Hall of Famer and longtime owner of the Guelph Platers, passed away Wednesday at the age of 96.
“It’s emotional, it’s a celebration of a life well-lived,” Joe’s son, Rob Holody, told GuelphToday.
“I think that he’s a very proud Guelphite, loved this city. I think he touched on, and helped by example, a lot of young men that came up through the sports scene in Guelph, and it’s being reflected now for people that are reaching out across North America as we speak. I’m proud of him.”
Rob is remembering his dad as a sportsman who had a huge impact on the game of hockey, despite not making it to the pros as a player.
But beyond that, Rob added, Joe was a devout man who had a strong faith and was someone who put family first.
“I’ll remember dad having a cigar in his mouth every morning (at) seven o’clock, having a cigar in his mouth at the end of the work day, and his signature hat, his fedora,” he said.
“Guys like that, you kind of break the mould, they’re pretty special. It’s from a different era, that’s for sure. It’s from times gone by, you don’t see many guys smoking three cigars a day, and wearing a fedora.”
Asked what he’d like the Guelph community to know about his dad, it would be his generosity.
“He would go out of his way,” Rob said. “And I think he took pride in his family and pride in the fact that if he could help people, he would. Very unselfish.”
And it’s a mindset he hopes other people take on, to be humble, think of others, help those in need when you can and be thankful for what you have.
Rob and Joe worked together at Holody Electro-Plating, the business Joe started in 1955. But they also grew close in the hockey world.
Rob played for the Guelph Holody Platers, the team owned by his dad, and later worked as the Platers' general manager once the team moved up to the OHL.
“Any decisions, you’d have to run it up the channel, and he would be one that would sit back and lay out all the pros and cons before we moved forward,” Rob recalled. “To say that there wasn’t some fireworks from time to time would be an understatement. He was loud, but he was also … black was black and white was white, there was no grey area with that.”
Before the OHL days, the Holody Platers were a successful Junior A franchise, winning multiple championships, including the 1978 Centennial Cup.
George McPhee – a member of that championship team – has gone on to the highest of highs in hockey, lifting the Stanley Cup as the president of hockey operations with the Vegas Golden Knights this past summer.
McPhee got his day with the Cup, sharing it with the public at the Italian Canadian Club.
But in a moment Rob shared, McPhee brought the Cup to Joe for a low key visit, and a reunion of the 1978 Holody Platers.
It was such a fond memory for Rob, but not just because of Lord Stanley’s mug sitting on his desk. A loaf of homemade bread – five feet long, sitting on a styrofoam board, with a red ribbon tied around it – sat in front of the Cup through the visit was baked by McPhee’s mother the night Vegas won.
Rob said the story of the loaf harkens back to the late 70s, days where some hockey games could end in ties.
“Dad would always say back then ‘half a loaf is better than none,’ meaning to get a point on the road, or get a point at home instead of not getting anything is better than nothing,” Rob said.
“(Vegas) won the Stanley Cup. George McPhee’s mom, at the time, presented my dad with this loaf of bread, five foot long, baked with a red ribbon on it, and she says to dad ‘well Joe, you got the whole loaf this time,’ meaning they won the entire championship.”
A fond memory Rob and all those in attendance will remember.
Visitation will be at Gilbert MacIntyre and Son Funeral Home, Hart Chapel, 1099 Gordon St. Friday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a vigil at 8:15 p.m. A funeral mass will be held on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church.
