Athlete, coach.
Born at St. Boniface on 21 October 1914, son of Jean Elric “John” Boivin (1887-1926, brother of Arthur Rivers Boivin) and Ann Isabel Keith (1889-1980), he coached football teams at Gordon Bell High School and played professional football with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He was a member of the teams that won the Grey Cup in 1939 and 1941.
During the Second World War, he served with the Winnipeg Light Infantry and Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders. After his military discharge, he returned to Winnipeg and was the Business Manager (?-1954) and General Manager (1954-1957) of the Blue Bombers. He was an Army candidate in the 1946 war services election. In 1958, he moved to British Columbia where he was a Director of the BC Lions.
On 18 September 1943, he married Shirley Louise Jackson (1919-1999, daughter of James “Jim” Jackson) at Victoria, British Columbia and they had two children.
He died at Burnaby, British Columbia on 28 January 2014.
Marriage registration [Jean Boivin, Annie Keith], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Birth registration [William Elric Boivin], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Death registration [John Ulric Boivin], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Marriage registration [William Elric Boivin, Shirley Louise Jackson], British Columbia Vital Statistics.
Death registration [Ann Isabel Boivin], British Columbia Vital Statistics.
Obituary [Ann Isabel Boivin], Winnipeg Free Press, 28 May 1980, page 82.
Obituary, Vancouver Sun, 1 February 2014.
We thank Oliver Bernuetz (Legislative Library of Manitoba) for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Julia McIlvride and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 21 November 2024
Memorable Manitobans
This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.
Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:
Custom SearchBrowse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | ZBrowse deaths occurring in:
1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.caCriteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements
Help us keep
history alive!