Just simply Bo

This week's piece is another heavy-hearted one.

Robert "Bo" Howes passed recently, leaving literally 1000's of former players and colleagues in a profound state of melancholy, the impact of a life well lived by a great human being.

Bo lived quite the Life, on his own terms, following a path that was less trodden. Born in Kirkland Lake in 1943, he eventually joined the Tricolour of Queen's, playing both football and basketball in the sixties, before being drafted by the CFL's BC Lions in 1968, but he is most widely known for being captain and All Star center for the the Edmonton Eskimos when they made a previously unmatched run of Grey Cup Championships, first in 1975, then 4 straight from 1978 to 1981. Bo retired from the CFL in 1981, quickly transitioning to the sidelines for the Gaels, first as an assistant, then as Head Coach, winning OQIFC Coach of the Year in 1995 and 1997. Even when he stepped back from full time coaching, he was both assistant and director of Football at U of T and later assisted at St Francis Xavier. 

Bo's impact of Canadian university football was widespread and deep.

Bo was the defensive line coach during my years at Queen's, and since I was on the offensive line, we spent a significant amount of our practice hours in head-to-head bashing breakdown drills. Possessor of a brilliant sense of humour wrapped up in a unique view on Life, I was the target of many a "Bo-isms" throughout my years. By far the biggest impact on my football career came thanks to a particular skill he shared and developed in me, one of the many skills that made him of value to the Lions and Eskimos, the long snap. I arrived at Queen's in 1982, a period where there was a need for a long snapper, and when Bo arrived in 1983, he was quick to take me under his wing, helping me be the number one choice for my entire career at Queens. Like so many other niche skills in sports, the casual fan doesn't appreciate the value of the long snap to the success of a team, and thanks to Bo's tutelage, it was something Queens didn't have to worry about for the years I played. During our shared time, I grew to appreciate all that Bo was and stood for, a coaching style that significantly impacted the development of my own coaching style for the next 40 years.

I am very proud to have called Bo a friend and am forever grateful for the time he invested in me.

Despite his successes, what truly makes this a sad day is that a genuine gentleman has left us, leaving behind a multitude that will experience an encompassing sense of loss, the effect Bo had on so many. Quick with a smile, a compliment, and a joke, his eyes revealed a deep commitment to his fellow man.

RIP Bo ... We will miss you ... and sincerely thank you for being in our lives.