It’s better to give – on the ice and in life

Gordie & Colleen Howe

Age: Gordie, 74; Colleen, 69
Residence: Bloomfield Hills
Occupation: Gordie, hockey Hall of Famer and hockey goodwill ambassador; Colleen, hockey Hall of Famer for her contributions to the sport
Honored: For their 50 years of participation as a hockey family and for their charitable work with the Howe Foundation

ordie Howe has always been a man of many characteristics. With his sharp, accurate elbows and a stick in hand, he might not seem the humanitarian — not during his quarter-century on the ice with the Detroit Red Wings, anyway. But the father of four is also soft-spoken, deeply rooted in family and committed to philanthropy.

    “My philosophy is that it is better to give than receive,” Howe said — regardless of whether it was a bloody nose to an opponent or time and help to youngsters through the Howe Foundation.

    Colleen Howe, Gordie’s wife of 49 years, was the inspiration for the foundation, begun in his honor in 1993 when he turned 65. They raised close to $1 million that year — with Gordie’s age a symbol as they visited groups in 65 cities from the Canadian Northwest Territories to California to Michigan. They donated funds raised in those cities to various charities and continue their charitable work today.

    Back when Gordie played for a four-Stanley-Cup-championship team and established National Hockey League scoring records, he displayed the same multifaceted character.

    “He’s still my hero, and I’m close to 60 years of age,” said Red Wings senior vice-president Jimmy Devellano, who grew up in Toronto watching Howe battle the Maple Leafs. “A fabulous, fabulous hockey player, and a fabulous, fabulous athlete and a fabulous, fabulous person.”

    Images of Howe’s dominance on the ice in the NHL’s early days remain vivid among his fans.

    “In my mind, he was the greatest all-around, complete hockey player ever and always will be,” said Al Wright, a fan from Howell. “Sure, people will break his records, but he will be around forever in Hockeytown’s heart and memories.”

    Howe joined the Red Wings in 1946 as a shy 18-year-old from Saskatchewan. Colleen’s ties are here — born in Detroit and raised in Sandusky in Michigan’s Thumb. Together, they are known across Canada and the United States as Mr. and Mrs. Hockey. Like Gordie, she is a hockey Hall of Famer, the first woman selected for the U.S. hall, for her work in the sport.

    Additionally, the good folks in Abbotsford, British Columbia, honored the Howes with the Colleen and Gordie Howe Middle School. And those of Sandusky recently dedicated the Colleen Howe Ice Arena.

    One adult fan, Steve Kirkpatrick, long wanted to play goalie in a professional game. He got his chance in a minor-league game in Indianapolis, stopping a shot by a team member. Kirkpatrick lived his hockey thrill in a wheelchair with a ventilator — muscular dystrophy has since claimed his life. The Howe Foundation had presented him with a van, which Kirkpatrick called his new legs, as well as making the hockey outing possible.

    When he was a player with the Wings, Gordie often would be in his car near the family home in Lathrup Village and spot a neighbor in need. There was a snowstorm. A man’s car was stuck in a drift. Howe stopped, stepped out, grabbed the shovel.

    “I helped him dig it out,” he said. “The little things you do in life people don’t forget.”

— Jerry Green