Sports coach.
Born at Portage la Prairie on 24 March 1919 to Daisy Ellen Dennis (1888-1958) and Alfred Rowley (1988-1922), he grew up in the Macgregor area. On 14 July 1940, he married Velma Margaret Wilton (1919-2013) and they made their home in Portage la Prairie.
He soon began enjoying the sport of tennis, first as a player and then as a coach. Tennis was flourishing in Portage in the first half of the 20th century, with many private grass courts on home grounds, and well-kept club courts in various locations. After the First World War, tennis courts were established on Island Park. Taking a break from coaching while he served with the Royal Canadian Air Force until his release in 1945, he went on to coach many Portage tennis athletes to winning championships.
At the same time, he was active in the basketball scene in his community, coaching the Portage Collegiate Pats team, where he stressed good sportsmanship and was commended many times for instilling courteousness in his players. During his first years of coaching, the only place they had to practice was a small, low-ceilinged, under-regulation size gym in the old collegiate. Then he obtained permission to use the Drill Hall for one season, which was quite a distance further away. Nevertheless, he and the team walked to all the practices. The Portage basketball scene then bounced to the gym at Macdonald Airport, then to a new recreation centre with a large gymnasium at South Port, then to the new Prince Charles School in 1950.
He was coach of the PCI Pats basketball team for 37 years (1945-1981), and his wife was the scorekeeper for all those years. He also established a trophy in his name for Most Valuable Player. His services were honoured with awards from the Portage and District Chamber of Commerce and the Portage Kinsmen Club.
He died at Portage la Prairie on 2 November 2007 and was buried in the Evergreen Memorial Gardens. In 2008 he was inducted posthumously into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in the builder category for his contributions to basketball and tennis.
Birth registration [Alfred Ralph Rowley], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Marriage registration [Alfred Ralph Rowley, Velma Margaret Wilton], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“Ralph Rowley,” Anne M. Collier, Portage la Prairie 1870-1970.
“Alfred Ralph Rowley,” Arthur Smith Family Tree, Ancestry.
Obituary [Velma Margaret (Wilton) Rowley], Omega Funeral Home.
Alfred “Ralph” Rowley, Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 24 October 2024
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