Rangers’ first President Eugene George has died

Eugene George was the main man behind bringing the Rangers to Kitchener in 1963. He was the Rangers first president, and the visionary behind the community ownership.

Voice of the Rangers, Don Cameron, who came aboard when George was President was obviously saddened when he heard the news.

“I had anticipated it, but I certainly felt very low,” says Cameron. “I’ve known Eugene George for a long time, I’ve known many in the family for a long, long time. Eugene has been more than a credit to the community. This community has lost someone very special.”

It was a major drawing point to the New York Rangers, who owned the franchise when they were the Guelph Royals, that Eugene George would move them to Kitchener for no charge to New York. It wouldn’t cost them a dime.

Cameron reminds us, when pro-sponsorship of teams had to be stopped, New York was so impressed with the smoothness of the relocation of the Royals to the Rangers’ East Ave, they gave George first crack at buying the Kitchener club.

“But, Eugene George did not want to own the team; he wanted the community to own it. That’s why we have such a successful organization now, it was because of the foresight of this great man.”

George had a very successful masonry company. He served as founding president of both the Canadian and Ontario masonry contractor’s associations. He was the first Canadian to be president of the Masonry Contractor Association of America and the International Masonry Institute.

“He was not one to stick out his chest; he was one to do things quietly in the background. I’m sure you can find in this community, an awful large number of people who have been aided by Eugene George, either financially or mentally. Yet at the same time, this is the same man who had a direct line to President Obama in the United States,” says Cameron. “I say this very politely, he was a workaholic. He made things happen, he touched a lot of people in high places, the President of the US was one of those.”

George was inducted into the Waterloo Region Hall of Fame in 2010.

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From the Rangers website:

It was Mr. George’s vision, that the team would belong to the community, and not to private ownership, and this idea has been the foundation of the Rangers organization for the past 50 years.

“I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to get to know Mr. George on a personal basis,” stated Chief Operating Officer / Governor, Steve Bienkowski. “He was never reluctant to pick up the phone and make his observations, as I like to call them, known to me. During our talks, he made his pride and passion about our organization very clear. We have lost a significant leader, who impacted us all with what he did not only for our team, but for the entire business community.”

On behalf our fans and entire organization, our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire George family.