Athlete.
Born at Winnipeg on 12 September 1931 to Stanley and Mary Chorley, he attended Kelvin High School and spent summers hauling ice at Grand Beach and delivering newspapers. His junior hockey career began with the Manitoba Minor Hockey League in 1951. It started with the Glace Bay Miners and spanned over the next 12 years with seasons played in the American Hockey League, the Western Hockey League, and the International Hockey League, wrapping up in 1963 with the St. Paul Saints. He acquired the nickname “Specs” during his hockey career, as he could be seen on the ice with his ever-present glasses taped to either side of his head.
Following his professional hockey career, he became a salesman with Kiewel and Molson Breweries, later returning to hockey as a coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings. He also played old-timers hockey for several years. Until his retirement in 1992, he was also employed by the Manitoba Liquor Commission. He called himself a hobby farmer and maintained 56 acres south of Brandon where he grazed Simmental cattle.
He was inducted as a member of the Winnipeg Monarchs into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999, and as an individual in 2001. In 2003 he was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame with the Winnipeg Monarchs. His athletic prowess extended into a love for all sports, especially baseball and curling. He was a hobby train enthusiast, acquiring many HO model trains and magazines. With his wife Lynda Kidd Chorley he had three children.
He died at Brandon on 5 December 2008.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 13 December 2008.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 25 November 2024
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