Joe Abraham

Over the years, Joe Abraham has contributed immensely to the community through his continual involvementin sports and recreation activities.

Joe started with the Bramalea Lions Club in 1965 and chaired the Boys and Girls Committee, in which he wasresponsible for all sports related activities. His contributions were recognized in 1984 when the club grantedJoe a lifetime membership.

In 1970 he helped organize a new men’s softball league, becoming its President in 1971. During his presidency,he instituted a policy in which each team was responsible for coaching a minor team at the house league level,which signifi cantly benefi ted the children.

Joe chaired the largest summer sports festival of its kind ever held in this area, an event in which Prime MinisterTrudeau attended the closing ceremonies. The Sesquicentennial Committee awarded a medal to Joe for his outstanding serviceduring these 1971 games.

Joe became heavily involved in community hockey in 1970. He started managing and coaching with the Chinguacousy Minor HockeyAssociation at the rep level, and would continue until 1987. His overwhelming enthusiasm, motivational skills and devotion to themany teams he coached helped contribute to the teams’ overall successes, enabling them to win two Ontario Championships,Silver Stick tournaments and the prestigious Brampton Lions International Atom Hockey Tournament in 1981.

His passion and dedication to hockey was further illustrated through his leadership and commitment as owner of the BramaleaBlues Jr. A hockey team. He became the owner of the Blues in the 1987-88 season and they quickly became Metro Jr. A Tier IIHockey Champions and Ontario fi nalists the same year. In 1998-99 his team advanced to the fi nals of the Royal Bank Cup inthe Canadian Junior Championships held in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.

Today’s “Future Stars” games, which have been held in Brampton and hosted by the Bramalea Blues for the past 12 years, wasan innovative idea of Joe’s. This event has now grown to 120 players from the Provincial Junior “A” League and attracted over100 scouts from the Ontario Hockey League, the National Hockey League, and various colleges and universities throughoutCanada and the United States.

Joe has been honored with a certifi cate from the Ontario Government for his volunteer contributions for recreation, and he alsoreceived a Civic Recognition Award for Cultural and Recreational Achievement from the City of Brampton.

Throughout Joe’s career, he has continually taken the focus off winning and enforced the importance of improvement as a playerand a citizen. Joe currently resides in Brampton with his loving wife Carole and his family.

Inducted June 11, 2003