JACK W. BOAG

died peacefully after a brief illness on Feb. 26, 2008.

He was born July 17,1916, in Minnedosa, Manitoba, Canada, and grew up in Winnepeg. He began his professional career as a hockey goalie for Vancouver, British Columbia in 1939, then played on teams in Portland and Salem, Ore. and Spokane, Wash. After a career ending injury, the owner of the Portland Eagles Hockey and Beavers Baseball clubs, sent him to Oregon Stage College to become an athletic trainer for his clubs. From there he worked for the Salem Senators and Victoria Tyees baseball clubs and the San Francisco Shamrocks and Cleveland Baron hockey clubs.

In 1960, he joined the St. Louis Cardinals Baseball organization. He spent winters in St. Petersburg, Fla., working with their major league Instructional and Spring Training clubs. Summers were spent as trainer for the AAA affiliate, Tulsa Oilers. He was loaned to the Chicago Cubs in 1964 and returned to be with the Cardinals for their October World Series.

He met his wife Lynn when he was on loan to the St. Louis Hawks Basketball team in 1965-66. In 1973, he was permanently based in Florida in charge of training for all St. Louis Cardinal Minor League programs.

Championship clubs he was a trainer for in hockey were: Cleveland Barons Calder Cup 1957, Nashville Flyers Eastern Hockey League 1967; and for baseball: Victoria Tyees Western International League 1952; Tulsa Oilers Texas League 1962, Pacific Coast League 1968 and International League 1972; Ponce Leones Caribbean Winter League 1972, and St. Petersburg Cardinals Florida State League 1978.

He was honored as the 1978 Baseball Minor League Trainer of the Year. The National Association of Professional Baseball League presented him with a Lifetime Pass to all baseball parks in the country, a rare award.

He retired in 1981, moving to Salt Lake City, Utah, to help his wife further her nursing career. They moved to Green Valley in 1996, from Sheridan, Wyo.

Once retired, he enjoyed working with young people and speaking to groups regarding the players and life in professional baseball.

He is survived by his wife Lynn; nephew Allan Currie; nieces Marilyn Hermiston and Margaret Ann Swayda.

Jack was a caring, kind and thoughtful man. He will be sorely missed.

A funeral Mass will be on Thursday, March 13, 2008, at 11 a.m. at St. Ann’s Catholic Church, 18 Calle Baca, Tubac, Ariz. Reception following in the Boag home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Animal League of Green Valley.