When
I first heard that Hilda Kingsley had passed away, my first
reaction was simply, “WOW!” I have known Hilda for as long
as I have lived in
Valley
East
, which
was since 1974. Hilda was “everywhere”. She seemed to be
involved in just about everything that you could imagine and
her passion for working for children in minor sports was
legendary. All I could think of was WOW! I could sense a loss
of much more than a friend and acquaintance. I sensed the loss
of a community icon. A loss that will change the face of
Valley
East
forever.
Hilda was everywhere and now she is gone.
I thought about Hilda again, and wondered, “How can
Valley
East
ever be
the same without her?”
At the same
time, I began to realize just how much of a difference Hilda
meant to
Valley
East
and now
it is up to the rest of us to step it up a notch and carry on
in her memory. She served for so many years in minor hockey
with the N.O.H.A., was a driving force behind the Consbec
‘AAA’ Midgets, was instrumental in the development of
minor soccer, and volunteered with the Club Richelieu. She was
also ready to give of her time to help anyone who needed her
assistance, and she will be forever known as the First Lady of
The Renegades Organization, perhaps her greatest contribution
of all.
Hilda was
the first inductee in the Volunteer Category to the Valley
East Sports Hall of Fame in 1998. There was no question as to
who the first inductee would be. It had to be Hilda Kingsley.
She made such a difference in the community.
Even though Hilda was someone who always had time to
volunteer to help out with minor sports, she also had time to
be a very devoted wife to Jean-Paul and a loving mother to her
two sons, David and Mark, both of whom are still living in
Hanmer. Her greatest joys in life were her two grandchildren,
Rebecca and Kaitlin.
A lady named Linda Ellis once wrote a little poem that
I think best expresses Hilda Kingsley’s life. The poem is
entitled, “The Dash”. As you read it, if you knew Hilda
Kingsley, think of how it is a fitting description of this
very special woman. Also, think about yourself and ask if this
poem could be used to describe your own life one day or to
describe someone you once knew who is no longer with us.
HILDA
KINGSLEY
March 14, 1946
–
December 5, 2008
The
Dash, by Linda Ellis:
I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning to the end.
He
noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke of the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years.
For
that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.
For
it matters not, how much we own,
The cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.
So
think about this long and hard;
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
That can still be rearranged.
If
we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.
And
be less quick to anger
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.
If
we treat each other with respect
And more often wear a smile…
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.
So
when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash,
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?
Joseph Epstein once said, “We do not choose to be
born. We do not choose our parents, or the country of our
birth. We do not, most of us, choose to die; nor do we choose
the time and conditions of our death. But within this realm of
choicelessness, we do choose how we live.”
A lot will
be said about Hilda Kingsley and about how she lived her life,
but the most fitting tribute of all will be that she showed us
all how to spend our dash.
Have a good
week.
