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Do You Sometimes Wonder Just How Significant Shuffleboard Really Is???

Fellow shuffler Grace Pipher passed away this October 26^th. We knew her as we do many other shufflers >> she was a partner with Lois and sometimes an opponent.  However; as you will see if you read on, she lived shuffleboard!!!  And as you will see, in death, her family ensured that shuffleboard was not forgotten. 

If there was a tournament within driving distance, Grace was there > and in the beginning her husband Ross had a good deal of difficulty with that.  He soon learned that he could not diminish her intense desire to compete!! 

Upon being informed of her death, I wrote this tribute >> which incidentally ended up above her casket and on FaceBook as well as 2 Shuffleboard Websites.  (See comments from Gary Pipher, brother-in-law below the tribute.)  

Grace Pipher Left Us On 2011 10 26

Grace was first a wife to Ross, a mother to her children, a grandmother and a great grandmother, but those of us in the Shuffleboard World knew her as a keen and intensely competitive shuffler.  She will be missed. Grace suffered a heart attack, was hospitalized and never regained consciousness. Her passing was described as peaceful with family by her side.      

We shuffled with Grace this summer in Napanee, and she was back in good form, giving every indication that she had completely recovered from her bout of bad health which caused her early return to Canada last winter.  In Napanee I asked Grace how it felt to come so close to death.  She responded with calmness that she had no fear, and went on to say that things would be OK.  

I exchanged correspondence with Grace only about 2 weeks ago and she shared with me that “I have just one more doctor to go >> and providing the results are favourable, we will be going to Florida this winter”.  Few shufflers had the intense desire that Grace exhibited when it came to competing in Shuffleboard!! Every partner and every competitor will miss her. 

If you would like to send a card to Ross and Family, the address is: 1081 Anderson Line, Box 61, Coldwater, Ontario, L0K 1E0. Funeral service will take place this Saturday in the Coldwater United Church; arrangements by the Coldwater Funeral Home. 

In Memory of Grace From All Shufflers Who Knew Her.   2011 10 27. SRM

This from Brother-in-law: “I printed a copy of your tribute on Photo paper and it will be on display in the Funeral Parlor. Shuffleboard was very important to Grace and so much so that her shuffleboard cue will be with her in the casket. Now that is devotion to the game if there ever was.

This too from Brother-in-law: Just now have left the funeral home. They have Grace looking so good and the family was very happy with the funeral director. Your tribute was sitting in an frame for everyone to read and lots and lots of comments on the article. They had all of Graces shuffleboard medals there. Some pinned to the inside of the coffin and some on the outside handles. Her cue was leaning against the coffin as it may have been too long to be inside. There were many shufflers there and Max and Ruth came up from Tillsonburg which was very nice of them. It was very evident she was a shuffleboard player with all the photos on display. Good memories are hard to forget. Gary

Stan and Lois in FL 2011 10 28.

THE FAB 4 IN SHELLS RESTAURANT! GREAT MEMORIES!!

This is an article first posted in Sep of 2004. 

The “Traveling Piphers” participated in our 1st Scugog Invitational Tournament, and we are absolutely delighted to have them return for this CNSA “endorsed event”, the 1st Annual Scugog Spring Fling!!  Coldwater is the home of “The Piphers”~~Ross & Grace, and Gary & Barb.  Coldwater is midway between Orillia and Midland. We reference Orillia because Stephen Leacock resided there; we reference Midland because it is home of Martyr’s Shrine.  The Piphers are rightly proud of their village, citing as assets, their library, their active community center, live theatre and of course their New Curling Rink! Coldwater has excelled in curling~~giving us Sherry Medagh, an Ontario ladies curling champion, and Glen Howard, one of Canada’s top curlers!! Can famous shufflers be far behind??  

Gary and Barb have made Coldwater their home since they married in 1961.  Gary retired from a sales position which saw him travel to most continents, often with Barb. Barb is now a domestic engineer enjoying things dear to most seniors.  During the winter Gary & Barb are at Woodbrook Estates in Lakeland, FL where they cut their teeth on the game. It was Brother Ross who was instrumental in the Piphers entering almost every tournament in the province this past summer!!  We are so glad they did!!

Ross and Grace both grew up in Coldwater; after working and living for 30 years in Richmond Hill, they returned to Coldwater. Ross was a heavy equipment operator, Grace employed by the North York School Board.  Ross and Grace also winter in FL, at Georgetown Retirement Park which is just across the street from Gary and Barb.  Ross and Grace are indeed avid shufflers with Grace placing 1st in the State Am division, Central District Masters. She will become a FL Pro this fall~~SEP OF 2004. 

The Piphers have enjoyed the Sport so much that they are in the process of organizing a Shuffleboard Club in Coldwater, negotiating with the Curling Club for Summer Shuffling. Brother Gary points out that Ross, some 30 years ago, was instrumental in the campaign to raise funds to build the Arena entirely built by volunteer labour and donations!!  Starting the Shuffleboard Club should be a “piece of cake”!!

THE SHUFFLER: We welcome Gary and Barb to Shuffling!!  We congratulate Ross and Grace on their bold initiative~~A Curling Club is a fine place to shuffle~~just ask the shufflers of Tweed, ON. The Shuffling community needs more Piphers, more players with imagination, with a vision and the energy to follow through on their ideas!!  

Originally posted 2004 09 21

Stan McCormack.