Local Ottawa communities mourn the loss of a great man, Mr. Pat Brophy. All-American Clarkson College; Exceptional teacher, coach, friend, family man.

Several communities mourn the loss of Patrick ‘Pat’ Brophy.

He was a fantastic hockey player, an All-American, he was an exceptional educator and coach. He was a son, a brother, a husband, a father and grandfather but above all he was class, 100% pure class.

For the purpose of this remembrance of my friend I suppose it would be okay to refer to him by his name, Pat. I can’t. I’ve never been able to do that. My friends’ parents will always be Mr. and Mrs. so, please take a few minutes if you will and read about my friend, Mr. Brophy.

There are few individuals in our lives who you are instantly charged up anytime you have occasion to see them. Mr. Brophy was one of those men for me. I guess it would be a combination of the fact I knew how much of an amazing hockey player he was. I knew he was a teacher, instantly meaning a higher level of respect and he was the father of Joe and my very close friend Paul but really, to be honest, it was because I just loved talking to the guy! We had the greatest conversations anytime we did hook up and sadly that was infrequent in recent years but ‘back in the day’ in the ‘692’, if you were around the rink, Dickinson Days, the village in general, odds were you’d cross paths and man that was fun!

I first knew of Mr. Brophy as the coach of that powerhouse South Carleton High School hockey team that won the Provincials in 1977. I actually knew of his wife, the late Mrs. Joan Brophy first as she began teaching at St. Leonard’s during my final school year there, grade 8, 1972-73. I went to St. Pius X after elementary school so I never had Mr. Brophy as a teacher but everybody knew of that South Carleton Hockey team and their coach who had been a hell of a defenseman in his day. You just get to know these things as you grow up in the area.

It was shortly after that his son Paul was being talked about in his own right as an excellent talent, his last year bantam, his midget years and beyond. As his own career was fluctuating between Junior A and Junior B he and I met. It was like I had known him for years anyway. I watched him and dozens of others play peewee, bantam, I knew most of their parents too! Just because, you know, small town. His mother a school teacher at my alma mater, his Dad teaching high school and a phenomenal hockey player. How do you beat that? Just great stuff…

I would stop by the house sometimes to pick Paul up and take him to his junior game. If Mr. Brophy was home we always had a conversation. But for me when things really changed for he and I, it was a couple of years later when I began working at the Manotick Arena and he was playing for the Manotick Millers, an outstanding 40+ all-star team and there was not a single week that went by in the years I worked there that he and I did not talk hockey either in the dressing room or the lobby. I loved every single second of it.

As time rolled by lives move on and our occasions to talk became more infrequent. There were still some awesome moments one in particular the night of his son Paul’s wedding. Kind of a funny story. I was wandering the halls of the hotel post celebration, it was late, I was just looking to have a night cap with somebody, anybody. Lo and behold I hear some fairly loud banter coming from a room with the door slightly ajar. I charge in determined to drink with whomever is inside. It’s none other than Mr. Brophy and several of the Manotick contingent who had been invited to the celebration. Well did I hit the motherlode there! That one was special. He was beaming with pride after his son’s wedding to Carole a fantastic lady just like I’m sure he was for Joe’s wedding also. Above all the man loved his family, of that there was no doubt.

I last saw Mr. Brophy five years ago in 2017 at the Kemptville and District Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony. His Allan Cup team, the Kemptville Prescott Combines were being inducted for their valiant run through the playoffs in 1963, the same year where only a few weeks earlier Mr. Brophy had been named to the NCAA All-American hockey team as a Clarkson Golden Knight. Talk about an incredible honour then and all those years later as now his senior team was being recognized. I had no idea he was going to be there. I was so thrilled I snapped the pic below and immediately sent it to his son Paul. Guess what? Mr. Brophy and I immediately started talking hockey like we were back in the rink in Manotick in 1980! That’s my last memory of him. He was vibrant, engaged, proud, looked like a million bucks. He always looked like a million bucks.

I want to offer my heartfelt condolences to all of the Brophy’s. From Smiths Falls through Pembroke and points west. To friends from Brockville which was his and Mrs. Brophy’s final residency but especially to all who knew him from our area, from my area, Manotick, Osgoode, Kars, Richmond, Stittsville, our communities, my communities. I especially want to offer my sincerest sympathies to his immediate family, his two sons, their wives and children and my dear friend Paul ‘Broph’ Brophy. He was a beauty my friend. He was a total class act and he’ll be sorely missed. Mr. Pat Brophy passed away with his sons by his side on March 16, 2022. He was 83. Rest in peace, sir. We will meet again. We will talk hockey…again. Your friend,

Liam Maguire