Final farewell to a distinguished colleague

The recent passing of Tony Proudfoot, former professional athlete and a Stingers coach  has touched many Montrealers.

Since 2007, Proudfoot had been battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a degenerative terminal illness, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. He raised more than $500,000 to support research and services to people with ALS through a fund he established after his diagnosis.

Proudfoot played football professionally in the 1970s and then turned to coaching and teaching. He was an Assistant Coach for the Stingers football team for four years including 1998, the year they played in the Vanier Cup. He also lectured in the Department of Exercise Science.

Concordia Director of Recreation and Athletics Katie Sheahan met Proudfoot at a football game several years ago. “On that occasion, we had the chance to speak about the time he spent at Concordia as an assistant coach and how much he enjoyed the experience,” recalls Sheahan. “Our university, and especially our students, are richer for having had the chance to work with Tony.”

The Concordia University Football and Coaching Staff Alumni established the Tony Proudfoot Award in 2009 for students who play football, maintain a solid GPA and are involved in community activities.
In 2006 Proudfoot wrote a book about excellence in football, entitled First and Goal: The CFL and the Pursuit of Excellence. He also contributed columns to the Montreal Gazette chronicling his experience with ALS. His last column, published on December 16, acknowledged the inexorable progression of his illness and encouraged donations to the Tony Proudfoot Fund.

Proudfoot is survived by his wife and three children. A funeral was held on January 5.

Related links:
•   Tony Proudfoot’s last Gazette column
•   To donate to the Tony Proudfoot Fund
•   Concordia Department of Recreation and Athletics