February 21 | Tim Horton

January 12, 1930 - February 21, 1974: Age 44

Tim Horton was generally acknowledged to be one of the strongest defencemen in hockey in the 60s and 70s; some say he was the strongest. When players tried to fight him or check him, he simply hugged them. One player bit him when he did this; when asked why, he replied, "I felt one rib go, and I felt another rib go, so I just had — to, well, get out of there." Horton was patient and calm on the ice, keeping opposing players in check through strength and skill rather than through aggressive behaviour.

Canadian readers will recognize the name immediately from the multi-billion dollar doughnut chain "Tim Hortons". It was indeed begun by Horton in 1964 along with investor/partner Ron Joyce. Today Tim Hortons is Canada's largest food service operator, surpassing even McDonald's with nearly twice as many Canadian outlets. If you have a Canadian friend, mention "Tim Hortons" and they will be dazzled by your intimate knowledge of their country.

Back to Tim Horton, the man: in the early morning of February 21, 1974, he lost control of his car while negotiating a curve on a highway. He hit a cement culvert and flipped over; he was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the car. The results were predictable: dead on arrival at hospital. Blood tests revealed a high alcohol level and the residue of painkillers, possibly for a jaw injury.

One tidbit perhaps not known even to Canadian readers: Tim Horton is a distant relative of US Presidents George Bush and George W. Bush.

Source: Wikipedia

January 3 | George Woolf

May 31, 1910 - January 4, 1946: Age 35

The name may sound familiar: George Woolf was played by real-life jockey Gary Stevens in the 2003 film Seabiscuit. Woolf is the Canadian jockey who became Seabiscuit's main rider after Red Pollard, the Tobey Maguire character, was injured.

Woolf was nicknamed "The Iceman" because his nerves were so steady that he would often take a nap before a race, instead of pacing and fretting. The most famous race he won was between Seabiscuit and triple-crown champion and favourite, War Admiral, in 1938.

Dubbed the "Match of the Century", it was discussed for many months in the media before it actually took place. Woolf and Seabiscuit's trainer approached the race strategically. Head-to-head races are usually run by fast starters, and Seabiscuit was known as a "pace stalker", sticking with the pack before a late acceleration. War Admiral, a much larger and stronger horse, was known as a fast starter. The trainer, knowing this, chose to secretly condition him to run against type, instilling an automatic burst of speed at the sound of the start bell.

With Woolf riding him, Seabiscuit burst ahead and led for the first half of the race. War Admiral slowly narrowed the lead, and for a long time they were head to head, to the great excitement of the crowds. In fact, Woolf was easing up on the horse, allowing him to see his opponent. In the final stretch, he asked for more, and got it: Seabiscuit won that race by four lengths, an unimaginable lead against such a formidable rival. You can see the whole race right now, here, on YouTube.

Woolf was a diabetic, and suffered greatly from the constant rapid dieting necessary to meet the weight requirements of his profession. While in a race in 1946, he slipped from his saddle head first on the ground. The other jockeys and track stewards reported that nothing happened that would cause such a fall; it is likely it resulted from dizziness or fainting spell due to the diabetes. He was taken to hospital with a concussion and died the following day at the age of only 35.

Sources: Wikipedia, Find-a-Grave

December 28 | Florence Lawrence

January 2, 1886 - December 28, 1938: Age 52

Florence Lawrence, born in Hamilton, Canada in 1888, was one of the most prolific film actors in history, but for most of her career was known simply as "The Biograph Girl". In the early days of movies, studios kept the identities of their stars secret, afraid that fame might lead to higher wages. In 1910 she was lured to the Independent Motion Company with the promise of a marquee, making her the first performer to be identified by name on screen and in film advertising.

Lawrence also loved cars. She was the first to invent a working turn signal for a car. It was a signalling arm attached to the rear fender of the car, that used electricity to raise and lower a sign indicating the turn direction. There was another signal for stop. Unfortunately she didn't patent it properly, so never received credit.

She retired in 1912, but was persuaded to return to work in 1915. During a shoot a staged fire got out of control and she was injured. The studio refused to pay for her medical expenses. It took her months to recover, and she never regained her position as a leading film star. She tried manufacturing a line of cosmetics, but it didn't pan out. In 1929 she lost a lot of money in the stock market crash. By this time she was in chronic pain from a bone marrow disease, myelofibrosis. In December 1938 she was found unconscious in her apartment after trying to commit suicide by eating ant poison. She died in hospital a few hours later. She was buried in an unmarked grave.

In 1991, actor Roddy McDowall paid for a memorial marker for her grave. It now reads:

FLORENCE LAWRENCE
"The Biograph Girl"
The First Movie Star
1890-1938

Source: Wikipedia, Northern Stars

December 26 | Jane Creba

May 13, 1990 - December 26, 2005: Age 15

Jane Creba was a 15-year-old high school student. She was out shopping on Boxing Day (December 26, a traditional day for big sales in Canada) with her older sister on a busy street in Toronto. She left her sister for a moment to skip across the street to an athletic wear store when a gunfight erupted. Creba was hit by one bullet that entered and exited her upper torso. She was rushed to the hospital, and died during emergency surgery.

In the confusion after the accident, Creba was the first to be taken to hospital as her injuries were the worst. Her older sister, whom she had left on the other side of the road, did not at first understand that she had been hurt. When she couldn't find Jane, she called her mother, who called police. By the time the family reached the hospital, Jane had died.

The incident is thought to have been related to a street gang feud, and certainly had nothing to do with Jane or with any of the other people injured. Altogether 10 young men, including three teenagers, were charged with murder or manslaughter in relation to Jane's death and the injuries of six others.

Sources: Wikipedia, Globe and Mail

September 3 | Jean Wilson

July 19, 1910 - September 3, 1933: Age 23

Born in Glasgow, Jean Wilson came to Canada as a baby. She didn’t learn to skate until she was 15 but by 18 was beating world champions. She represented Canada in the North American championship and won every event she entered. She competed in the 1932 Olympics and medaled with silver. In the 1K event she was in the lead but fell just before the finish line. Her comment: “Falling before the tape will be done again and by others beside myself.”

In fact, it would be done only by others besides herself. A few months after the Olympics she was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, a disease in which the immune system attacks the muscles. The muscles become weaker during periods of activity, but improve during periods of rest. There is no cure, although today, as with many autoimmune diseases, it can be controlled with drugs. In the 1930s, it was fatal. Over the few months after her diagnosis Wilson would have experienced drooping eyes, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, unstable gait and, ultimately, difficulty breathing. Wilson died within a year of her diagnosis.

Sources: Find-A-Grave, Canadian Sports Hall of Fame