It seemed like everyone knew Dale West and his Saskatchewan Roughriders teammates when they were winning the franchise's first Grey Cup 60 years ago. West died Tuesday at 84 from cancer. He spent four decades as an elementary teacher and vice-principal, serving on Regina's Board of Education and working for the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame. A high-profile mainstay of the community, he was an omnipresent reminder of the Roughriders' glory days.
West's Legacy
Born in Cabri and raised in Saskatoon before playing collegiately at Arizona and Saskatchewan, West was a speedy, three-time all-star defensive back who also served as a backup receiver before retiring from a seven-year playing career in 1969. Crossing paths with him in recent years was a joy because he remembered everyone and always had strong, intelligent opinions about the current Roughriders, including last year's Grey Cup champions.
Ekstran's Passing
West's death follows the loss of Garner Ekstran, an undersized, ferocious defensive lineman with a penchant for warm beer, according to local lore, who died April 4 at 88 in Washington. Jack Abendschan, a Hall of Fame guard and kicker, died in 2025.
Only Six Remain
Backtracking through the years, it's heartbreaking to realize only six members of that 1966 team are still alive: defensive backs Al Ford and Larry Dumelie, linebacker Wayne Shaw, defensive lineman Ed McQuarters, offensive lineman Clyde Brock and receiver Hugh Campbell. "Lots of things happen in 60 years," said Ford, 82, who later became the team's general manager and won the franchise's second Grey Cup in 1989. "That's what happens if you win early in your career, you get to hang around longer. Pretty soon they run out of guest speakers."
There are so many great stories from that first Grey Cup victory, a 29-14 decision over the Ottawa Rough Riders inside Vancouver's Empire Stadium. TV cameras were famously set up inside Ottawa's dressing room for postgame interviews because the eastern Rough Riders were heavy favourites until Saskatchewan scored 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. West recorded an interception.
We're losing them, chipping away personal memories whenever one of those legends passes away. They were CFL champions in 1966, but they were also your neighbours, teachers, salespeople, store managers and government employees who gathered inside Regina's Exhibition Track during the summer for football practices with head coach Eagle Keys, played their CFL games nearby at Taylor Field and became familiar, revered members of the community.
Legends! And we knew where they lived because Ronnie would sometimes throw passes to the neighbourhood kids in Emerald Park, George's house had a swimming pool behind the Whitmore Park Safeway and Gordie could occasionally be talked into playing shinny on his street.
