Dave McLelland

Dave McLelland, born in Montreal in 1935, had three passions in life: family; his career in education; and volunteerism for the betterment of his community.

In 1958, Dave and his wife, Mary Ruth (née Radcliffe), settled in Kitchener where he began his career teaching science at Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School (KCI). After holding numerous teaching and administrative positions, in June 1993 he retired from his role as superintendent with the Waterloo Region District School Board.

Once established in Kitchener, Dave fell in love with his community and with athletics. He started coaching Learn to Skate at Queensmount Arena, and was one of six fathers who started Forest Hill T-Ball in the late 1960s. For many years, he coached and managed teams for the Kitchener Minor Hockey Association. When girls’ fastball needed a coach, he guided them at the bantam, midget, junior, and senior levels.

During the 1980s and 1990s, when he coached the Waterloo Twins senior men’s fastball team, Dave was an integral part of seven separate Canadian Fastball Championships, including Chairperson of the Junior Women’s in 1989, Senior Men’s in 1993, and Midget Boy’s in 1999.

In 2000, Dave travelled with a small group from Kitchener-Waterloo to St. Joseph, Missouri, to present a bid to host the International Softball Congress (ISC) World Fastball Tournament in Kitchener in 2002. In spite of detailed planning for Dave’s presentation, the electrical system for the PowerPoint slide show malfunctioned when he was about to make his pitch, so Dave delivered the entire bid without notes or visual aids. Kitchener was rewarded with the unanimous selection. It would be the first of seven ISC World Tournaments that brought the best men’s fastball into our community.

Also a lifelong hockey fan, Dave became a director in the mid-1970s of the community-owned Kitchener Rangers Jr. A Hockey Team. In the late 1990s, he initiated the Banner Program which honours past championships, and exhibits retired players’ numbers from the rafters in the Dom Cardillo Arena at the Kitchener Auditorium. In 2001, he became an Honorary Director and remained active in that role until his passing in 2023.

He was also influential in starting the Kitchener Rangers Alumni Association which brings former players back to visit K-W and Ranger games each year. As an on-air volunteer with Rogers TV, he would conduct intermission interviews at home games with visiting alumni. Dave was an avid fan and collector of Rangers memorabilia, and donated his large collection to the Rangers Hockey Team. To honour Dave and his family, the Hall of History was renamed McLelland Hall, where his collection can still be viewed.

Dave has been honoured with many citations for his volunteerism, notably the Queen’s Golden Jubilee medal, for his involvement in minor sports. He was a valued member and contributor to the Kitchener Sports Association, and integral to the success of the Athlete of The Year and the Award of Excellence committees. He was the recipient of the Kitchener Sports Association 2022 Award of Excellence for an individual who had made a lifetime commitment to improving sports through service to the sporting community.

It is a testament to his “commitment to excellence” that he continued to give back as a volunteer and became a community treasure for a further 30 years even after retirement. Dave McLelland is truly a very deserving recipient of the Waterloo Region Hall of Fame recognition.