Beloved Coquitlam lacrosse legend Trevor Wingrove will be getting his due posthumously when the junior Adanacs' organization retires his jersey on Wednesday.
Coquitlam Minor Lacrosse Association president James Abbott, along with members of the junior Adanacs' executive, made the call earlier this year - a natural progression after the annual minor lacrosse tournament became eponymous with Wingrove's name two years ago.
Today, sitting in a café overlooking the A's arena at the Coquitlam Sports Centre, Trevor's dad Les is mentally preparing for that bittersweet moment on June 5 when number 23 will rise to the rafters.
"Trevor was a very modest guy and he would probably be embarrassed by all the attention," smiles Les, fondly remembering a man whose enthusiasm for life had a wide reach in Coquitlam.
Sitting next to Les is longtime family friend and a one-time teammate of Trevor's, Lance Hofseth, who now sits on the junior A's executive.
"The Wingrove family is like royalty in the Coquitlam lacrosse community," explains Hofseth.
Considered as one of the founding fathers of Coquitlam minor lacrosse, Les is self-effacing - a trait he clearly passed down to his son, along with his passion for the sport.
By the mid-'80s, Les was well into his tenure as coach of the junior A's and Trevor had just earned his spot on the roster, after leaving behind a legacy that included seven gold provincial medals in minor lacrosse.
In 1985, Trevor was named the Adanacs' Most Inspirational Player. Two years later, he was the team's Most Valuable Player.
"[Trevor] was a sniper on the power play," recalls Hofseth. "He had one of the best shots in the league by far."
But it was his son's sportsmanlike conduct that made Trevor's dad the most proud. Looking back, Les remembers an anomaly: the one and only time Trevor sparred on the lacrosse floor. He had fought back after another player "went out of his way to give Trevor a hard time."
In four years with the junior A's, Trevor and his teammates collected a provincial crown and made two Minto Cup appearances. During that time, he also attended Whittier College in California where he won a Western Collegiate Lacrosse League Championship and was named to the first all-star team.
In 1988, his last season in juniors, Trevor was called up to the senior A's team to play in the Mann Cup. It proved to be a momentous occasion, as the A's made it to the Canadian lacrosse finals that year.
He would carry on with the senior Adanacs for five more seasons that included two more Mann Cup appearances, before his lacrosse career was cut short by a severed Achilles tendon injury.
POINTS LEADER
Trevor remains as the junior A's fourth all-time regular season points leader, recording 100 goals and 245 assists. For Hofseth, he's more amazed by just how much of a team leader Trevor was during that time.
"He was very inspirational to all the players," says Hofseth. "He always led by example. He was well liked on and off the floor."
Outside of lacrosse, Trevor was engaged in civic life in Coquitlam. The city hired him on in the Engineering and Public Works department during his summer break from the University of Victoria.
A few years later, after graduating from Douglas College's Print Futures program, Trevor was tasked with rewriting all the city manuals. That opportunity offered some valuable insight, which helped him move up the ranks at city hall.
When the deputy city clerk job came open, Trevor went out and bought two suits for his interview, laughs Les.
He got the job, but faced a dilemma shortly after when Maple Ridge posted a city clerk position. Trevor was eventually courted back by Coquitlam when that same role opened up in his hometown.
His last post was general manager of Corporate Services, that's when adversity struck hard for 42-year-old Trevor in 2010.
"We had gone down to Palm Springs for my granddaughter's field hockey tournament," explains Les. "[Trevor] was coughing quite a bit."
THE DIAGNOSIS
The diagnosis came mere weeks later, cancer, with a month-to-month prognosis. Les says his son handled the card he was dealt no differently than anything else in his life - with a lot of strength and optimism.
Six months later, it was standing room only at the Red Robinson Show Theatre in Coquitlam for Trevor's memorial, where family, friends, his former lacrosse teammates and many others who Trevor touched with his generosity paid tribute to him.
"Everybody always heaps praises on Trevor," says Les.
REMINDERS
He's now left with permanent reminders of his son's love for lacrosse, not only in the trophy cases at the Coquitlam Sports Centre, but also in his carport.
When Trevor was a tyke lacrosse player, he routinely ensconced in his parents' carport, where his dad had placed a piece of plywood for target practice.
Two years ago, when one of Trevor's old teammates who lived down the street came over to paint the roof of Les' carport - they discovered all these lacrosse ball-sized marks.
"He said, 'no problem,'" laughs Les, "'I probably made half those marks'".
On Wednesday, many of Trevor's old teammates and coaches will be in attendance during his jersey retirement ceremony, scheduled to take place between the first and second periods.
His brother Craig, who also played lacrosse, will make the trip from his home in Connecticut. Also standing next to Les during that emotional moment will be Trevor's mom, JoAnne, along with his wife Libby and their daughter Meghan.
The event will mark only the third time in the junior Adanacs' history that a jersey has been retired. It will also serve as an occasion to celebrate a current, well-rounded Coquitlam minor lacrosse player.
That evening, the Coquitlam Foundation will be accepting donations for a bursary in Trevor's name. The 2013 scholarship recipient is Taylor Davies, a Grade 12 Centennial secondary student, who plays intermediate lacrosse and plans to attend UVIC.
The jersey retirement will take place at 7:30 p.m. on June 5, during the Adanacs' game, and will be the kick off to the Trevor Wingrove Memorial Tournament.
