RICHARD AND JANE RUMBLE
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Richard and Jane were both born in the Blenheim area and spent their entire lives working, raising family and volunteering their services to make Kent County a better place for us all.
During their youth Richard played baseball and hockey while Jane was in basketball and track and field. Richard was the goaltender for the All Ontario Blenheim Bantam Champions, then played with the Maroons from ’62 to ’65 and their championship ’63 team and then played with the inaugural Blenheim Blades team in ’65-’66 when they won the All Ontario “C” championship.
After school both returned to Blenheim and Richard assumed a teaching position with the Kent County Board of Education. After his daily classes finished he coached many of their school teams but he especially enjoyed soccer and coached it each year for 33 years and 3 years after retiring.
Jane and Richard had two sons, Phillip and Chris, and while they grew up Richard coached them in minor hockey, baseball, soccer and both he and Jane coached in Youth Bowling. But the sport for all the family was hockey. While the boys played from Atom through Juvenile, Richard and Jane were executive members of Blenheim Minor hockey serving as president and secretary-treasurer. They were both long time Blenheim Golden Acres Peewee tournament registrars and booklet chairmen.
When the boys left home Richard returned to the Maroons organization. From 1995-2002 he was the secretary of the Maroon Alumni Association and the treasurer from 2002-2006. Jane was always his right hand assistant in each of these jobs and together they initiated the first Maroon golf tournament as well as developing both the original and current Alumni constitutions. Richard also brought his goaltending experience to the Maroons acting as the goalie coach from 1999-2002. In 2005 he returned to Blenheim hockey and with his Maroon experience he became the founder and President of the Blenheim Blades Alumni Association. He held that position and was a key member of the Blades executive until his passing in 2009.
Jane was highly involved in her church’s Christian Education Committee. She taught Sunday School for 17 years, was the CGIT leader for 21 years and served on the CGIT provincial board. In 1990 she was the chairperson for the Provincial CGIT jamboree attended by the Ontario Lieutenant Governor, Pauline McGibbon, and 1600 young girls from Ontario and Montreal.
Both Richard and Jane were actively involved with Royal Canadian Legion and served on most committees, were executive members, both sat as president and Jane was the past Zone commander. Their dedication to our veterans was an easy lead to their volunteer work with the Blenheim Freedom Library and Military Museum. Jane is the current chairperson of the museum board, volunteer curator, prepares displays and maintains historic records.
After all this, in their spare time, they both loved to golf. Richard was a long time director, trustee and president of the Blenheim Community Golf Club in 1989.
Jane and Richard were married for 40 years before his untimely death which was not only a tremendous loss for his family but to the community of Blenheim as well.