VALE - HUGH CREIGHTON

A JOB WELL DONE - A LIFE WELL LIVED

A rugby club has many pieces that make it a good club.  Hugh was one of those pieces with CWRFC.  Although he recalled that OBHS won four consecutive Howard Russell Cups when he attended HS, personally, he did not play until after he graduated, and he played for Oak Bay Wanderers as a prop forward.  He regularly regaled the listener with tales from his days with specific memories of battles against the Bays.  However, it was Dick Ellis and Peter Clarke whose commitment to the game that impressed Hugh.

When that One Great Scorer came to mark against his name, it mattered not that he won or lost but how he played the game of life in his own quiet way.  It was with integrity, wisdom, love for family, a sense of fairness and care for his fellow man, sprinkled with a wry sense of humor that characterized this man.  Hugh was so proud of the achievements of his children, Alexandra, who worked with her dad, son Peter, and stepchildren, Eleanor and Patrick.  He was equally as proud of his grandchildren – Chloe, Maxwell and Simon.  He often saw their games and talked about their progress.

Hugh’s 88 years were highlighted by his marriage to Valerie for some thirty years.  She predeceased him and he missed her dearly for the past eight years.  Their love of travel and photographic memories of same, were highlights Hugh often talked about.  Hugh was raised in Victoria and served as Director of the United Way for many years.  It was a source of pride to see the thermometer “rise”.  In fact, this could well have been a precursor to a later love of being the score-keeper attendant for the club, for many a season, in rain, hail or shine.  Following his term with United Way, he moved on to manage all the inaugural Co-op Housing Projects in Victoria and when he moved to a broader base of property management, his eye caught his beloved Val, occupying a unit under his responsibility!

Hugh’s legacy with our club is an important part of our culture. He served on the Wanderers Board and then worked closely with Jimmy Grier during the growing pains of amalgamation.  His kindness and willingness to volunteer are memorable aspects of his life.  For several seasons in his later years, he dutifully picked up Ivor Hughes and brought him to Windsor Park.  Often unnoticed, the things friends do for friends.  He was a fixture at Friday Happy Hours at “Crappy’s Corner” at DSC where “the friendships are great and the beer is cheap”!

P.s.  Photos in this blog are accredited to the late Ron Willems, who was also the manufacturer of the scoreboard – a fitting connection.