Hey, ‘Bud’–How many are you? Some cross country memories and a check-in from a friend

Posted By: David Fortier January 20, 2024

By Bob Montgomery

This week’s key topic is the nickname “Bud.” My late father was William M. “Bud” Montgomery, and I was thinking about it recently. His father was William and so was his grandfather. Thus, junior or “Little Bill” was not the answer. He grew up being called “Bud.”

It’s been that way for a lot of fellows. The late Armand Choiniere was a “Bud” due to the fact that his father was Arnand. I find the name of Arthur P. “Bud” Funk interesting also. Both father and son were named Arthur P. with dad being Arthur P., Sr. George Funk, senior’s dad, wasn’t an Arthur. These are the folks who have operated FourSlide Spring and Stamping Manufacturing.

An acquaintance from my past is Buddy D’Agostin. He was a Bristol Eastern grad from the mid-1960s, but I don’t have his family history. And it’s not just the boys. A female Bristol resident by the name of Berdina “Buddy” (Deveau) Frechette died here in 2022. 

BC 2011 cross country

Some of my favorite memories of covering local sports were those of cross county, indoor and outdoor track. The couple of years leading up to and including 2011 took in the long-distance running of those from Bristol Central. The key event that warmed my heart was that of the Rams capturing the 2011 state boys title in cross country.

The leading harriers for that squad were Mike Duprey, Connor Kelley, Jake Mancini and Jacob Eschner. So with this, I called former city councilor Peter Kelley for an update on his son. A quiet fellow, he is living in Portland, Maine, and is the housing director for the State of Maine Social Services. He just recently started running again and is looking forward to doing so this spring in a half-marathon competition.

Leaders

I was thinking about leaders, and when it came to local sports I came up with a few individuals. Among them are attorneys Mark and Carolyn Ziogas. Mark has been one his entire life, and this includes overseeing the Bristol Sports Hall of Fame in recent years. There are other family members well-known for their athletic leadership and prowess. Carolyn, by the way, made volunteering under her reins as a member of the Bristol Tramps very comfortable.

While on the topic of Hall of Fame, a shout out to its current officers, the humorous Jack Krampitz, president; vice-president Bob Kalat, the glue that keeps the organization together; Eleanor Wilson, secretary and all-around civic-minded lady; and Dave Greenleaf, treasurer, someone who has done so much for sports here and on the state level. Dave has had his hands on so many sports activities.

Bernie and Jean Sue O’Keefe

As many know, Bernie has been house-bound for a couple of years now. I was hoping to visit him within the next month, but he beat me to it by phoning here on Tuesday afternoon. He and his wife, Jean Sue, both chatted with me.

To stay somewhat active, Bernie talked about what he calls “a trail” he walks inside his home.  He added that he walked it 10 times already that day. He also calls friends on the “telee” and plays cards on Mondays with Dave Mills, Jim Cleveland, John Ryan and Marty Hurwitz when he is available.

Victor Rosa

Victor, a sophomore standout for the UConn men’s football team, holds the Bristol Central 100-meters record with a time of 10.74 set in 2020. He’s listed as the second best in the 200-meters with a run of 22.14.

Contact Bob Montgomery at BobMontgomeryNews@BristolEdition.org, or by calling 860-583-5132.

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