Harry George Woolley
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Woolley Jumper |
| Born | January 4, 1942 |
| Died | May 23, 2009 (aged 67) |
| Residence | New Westminster, BC |
| Sport | |
| Country | Canada |
| Sport | Lacrosse |
Harry George Woolley (4 January 1942 – 23 May 2009) was a Canadian player, coach, referee, manager, scout and advocate for the game of lacrosse. He spent 46 years as a builder volunteering in a total of 72 appointments. His career extended to coaching, refereeing and managing lacrosse teams in Francophone & First Nations communities.
Woolley was a Correctional Officer by day and sports enthusiast by night. Woolley worked at Oakalla Prison Farm in Burnaby, BC from 1976 until its closing in 1992. Harry was then transferred to work at the new Fraser Regional Correctional Centre in Maple Ridge, British Columbia where he worked until his official retirement in 2002.
Woolley’s introduction to box lacrosse came by chance when he was invited to play by a group of boys. After he picked up a lacrosse stick and played the game, he fell in love with the sport immediately.
He played high school lacrosse at Burnaby North Secondary school. Woolley also played amateur lacrosse for Renfrew Minor, Burnaby Minor, Burnaby Junior and the Chilliwack Junior A league.
Woolley played semi-professional lacrosse with the Sorel Titans in Quebec from 1965-1968. Woolley at 23 years of age played under the mentorship of Hockey Hall of Fame legend and Montreal Canadiens hockey player John Ferguson, Sr. Woolley wanted to emulate Ferguson’s style as an enforcer and gain notoriety for his cavalier treatment of the opposition. John Ferguson, Sr. was coach for the Sorel Titans, one of six Quebec Lacrosse League (QLL) clubs that played in the 1960s.
Woolley and other QLL players drew crowds of over 3,000 people. Harry became a solid centre forward and was eventually made captain of his team. He was in the top 12 consistently for overall points in the league.
One fanatical fan took his vendetta against Woolley to the extreme. After playing a hard fought game for the Titans, Woolley was followed by an opposing fan who pulled a knife on him. Quebec coach Rene Cournoyer intervened by tackling the man to the ground and was later credited with saving Woolley’s life.
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