John (Taylor) Gabrowski
06-23-2006, 03:04 PM
On June 20, 2006 E.J. Ted Coates of Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada and in retirement where he passed away at Victoria, British Columba, Canada. Ted was a member of the Manitoba Outboard Racing Association since the 1950s. A commercial pilot by trade and a lover of boats and motors was his serious hobby. Ted specialized in making C-Service engines up north here work real well. He raced in those early years with the likes of Jimmy Eberts, Jim Fanstone, Fenton and his son Terry Malley, Dennis Gordon and many others as in those days there were 50 registered Service and Stock Outboard drivers here that ran mult-class hydros and runabouts.
Ted was known for his raceboat building. He built Ogier hydro copies and his own brand of racing runabout called Banshee(s) that mixed up with the Desilvas of that era. I was the kid down the street who became his pitman by 1963 and by 1965 he had me in an Ogier hydro and increasingly racing ever since. He introduced me and got others like me into racing and was a mentor in so many ways. He introduced many of us up through the classes to famous and old time racers and great ALky men like Bill Tenney, Gene Minor, O.F. Christner, Jim Schoch and many many others who raced here and when they from here raced there.
Ted retired as a pilot by 1970 and with his wife Mazie moved to just outside of Victoria, B.C. where he lived until his passing away. He was predeceased by his wife Maizey some 15 years earlier. He has many grandchildren and greatgrandchildren around this area born and raised from Pine Falls and Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada areas.
In his retirement he was an AMOCI member and a member with the Seattle Outboard Association, which was the closest thing he could find in racing and collecting on the west coast. He was a member in a car club in Victoria, B.C. and his thing was to restore British Rover sedans. If there was anyone on Vancouver Island restoring some old OMC iron, Ted could be relied upon to sniff out the parts needed to finish the project for someone in need.
It is my understanding that he will be interred with his wife on the west coast and that there will be a memorial service for all those that knew him or had a kinship with him through family and the sport of powerboat racing and outboard engine restoring here in Manitoba in the near future. He touched many people in our sport and its spinoffs in life and he will be missed by all that knew him. It is hoped that some memorabelia from his racing years in Manitoba and the Midwester USA will become part of the Selkirk, Manitoba, Marine Museum for the general public to enjoy and it is known that the Seattle, Washinton club meant the same from donations he made within that club to keep what he accomplished as their member in the view on display and in their hearts as a devoted club member of theirs in his retirement from this part of the country.
Lift a glass of your favorite in a toast to his memory "E.J. Ted Coates". Remember him now in your hearts and minds. :)
Ted was known for his raceboat building. He built Ogier hydro copies and his own brand of racing runabout called Banshee(s) that mixed up with the Desilvas of that era. I was the kid down the street who became his pitman by 1963 and by 1965 he had me in an Ogier hydro and increasingly racing ever since. He introduced me and got others like me into racing and was a mentor in so many ways. He introduced many of us up through the classes to famous and old time racers and great ALky men like Bill Tenney, Gene Minor, O.F. Christner, Jim Schoch and many many others who raced here and when they from here raced there.
Ted retired as a pilot by 1970 and with his wife Mazie moved to just outside of Victoria, B.C. where he lived until his passing away. He was predeceased by his wife Maizey some 15 years earlier. He has many grandchildren and greatgrandchildren around this area born and raised from Pine Falls and Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada areas.
In his retirement he was an AMOCI member and a member with the Seattle Outboard Association, which was the closest thing he could find in racing and collecting on the west coast. He was a member in a car club in Victoria, B.C. and his thing was to restore British Rover sedans. If there was anyone on Vancouver Island restoring some old OMC iron, Ted could be relied upon to sniff out the parts needed to finish the project for someone in need.
It is my understanding that he will be interred with his wife on the west coast and that there will be a memorial service for all those that knew him or had a kinship with him through family and the sport of powerboat racing and outboard engine restoring here in Manitoba in the near future. He touched many people in our sport and its spinoffs in life and he will be missed by all that knew him. It is hoped that some memorabelia from his racing years in Manitoba and the Midwester USA will become part of the Selkirk, Manitoba, Marine Museum for the general public to enjoy and it is known that the Seattle, Washinton club meant the same from donations he made within that club to keep what he accomplished as their member in the view on display and in their hearts as a devoted club member of theirs in his retirement from this part of the country.
Lift a glass of your favorite in a toast to his memory "E.J. Ted Coates". Remember him now in your hearts and minds. :)