A public memorial will be held for Coquitlam lacrosse legend Les Wingrove this Saturday (1 p.m.) at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex.
The family announced the service last week, noting that a large number of mourners are expected to attend and that people should arrive early to avoid parking issues.
There will be a guest book to sign and in lieu of flowers the family is encouraging donations to the Trevor Wingrove Bursary fund, which is administered by the Coquitlam Foundation.
A longtime lacrosse coach, manager and club executive, Wingrove passed away suddenly last month. He was 74 years old.
Since then, tributes have poured in from every corner of the lacrosse world and the community for Wingrove’s tireless contribution to build the game, from formalizing the formation of the Coquitlam Minor Lacrosse Association in the early 1970s to being the manager of teams that won Minto and Mann cups, to working as the director of operations and alternate governor for the Coquitlam Junior Adanacs and as the assistant general manager and alternate governor for the Western Lacrosse Association’s Langley Thunder.
Those efforts earned him induction as a builder into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame, where he was ultimately joined by a number of players he coached as kids or managed as an executive.
Wingrove was also instrumental in the formation of the Coquitlam Sports Hall of Fame, where he had a hands-on role in building many of the displays, and he was heavily involved in many local associations to promote sport and activity for young people.
For more information about the memorial service, as well as a link to donate to the bursary fund, go to www.leswingrove.com.
