Badminton has been really good to Marc, and he dedicated many years to the sport.
Besides enjoying the game (especially in mixed doubles), Marc has met so many wonderful people on the circuit, and made so many friends… An exhaustive list would take too long, but it would also be a shame not to mention Rob Oldfield and Geraldine Pugh, Don Unger (who was Marc’s Best Man at our wedding in Brazil) and his wife Pat, Jim and Tina Heuser, Annette Joughin (Marc’s mixed partner for many years), Dawn McGuire and her hubby Craig Reeves, Michael P. Walker (aka “Bunkie”), Jacques Lupien, Brad Logan and many others who were part of the original group Marc met when he started playing.
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Then Rob Oldfield had the crazy idea to bring Marc into the umpiring fold, and a whole new group of amazing people entered Marc’s life, as he started traveling as an international umpire. Foremost on the list would be Richard Atwell and his wife Cynthia (Richard, a warm friend who lives in a quaint village in England, was Marc’s BWF mentor for many years); the one and only Cormac Breslin, who hailed from Ireland and whose life was cut WAY too short; Zhao Xiaomao, who was Marc’s “guide” during his 1st tounament in China, and who helped us discover Beijing when we traveled there together for Marc’s final BWF event; Vellacott Greg 😉 , an gentle Aussie who we hope to visit one day down under – maybe with a stop in New Zealand to see Lynn Nixey, who always seems to have a smile on her face. There is also Mr. Sano, a Japanese umpire with a great sense of humour, or Elaine Kong in sunny California; and we can’t forget another BWF umpire, Canadian this time: Mike Walker, who became an international umpire at the same time as Marc, who worked at many of the same tournaments Marc did, and played bridge with Marc for many years in Nanaimo.
There is also the whole raft of amazingly dedicated people, whose efforts make the badminton community the friendly group that it is: Muriel Knott and her daughters, badminton family par excellence in Victoria, He-Jiwei in China, Kamasha Robertson in Trinidad, Keith Anton and his dedication to coaching, Isaura Medina and her Cuban hospitality, Dille Anderson, an amazing photographer forever associated with Marc’s trip to Tokyo, and the hundreds of line judges, young and old who volunteer their time around the world, and who were just as happy to practice their English as they were listening to Marc try a few words of Mandarin, Czech, Japanese or Norwegian.
This little ditty came to Marc while bike riding …
The Ballad Of John And Yoko The Ballad Of Marc And Mike
(Lennon/McCartney) (with apologies to Lennon/McCartney)
Standing in the dock at Southampton On the court in the Czech Republic
Trying to get to Holland or France Trying to get to the Olympics
The man in the “Mac” said Frank in his “Mac” said
You’ve got to go back You’ve got to go back
You know they didn’t even give us a chance You know they didn’t even give us a chance
Christ you know it ain’t easy, you know how hard it can be Christ you know it ain’t easy, you know how hard it can be
The way things are going, they’re gonna crucify me The way things are going, Brits are gonna crucify us
Finally made the plane into Paris Finally went for a second essay
Honeymooning down by the Seine Worked for days and nights in Norway
Peter Brown call to say Dirk and Jan called to say
You can make it O.K. You have made it O.K.
You can get married in Gibraltar near Spain You can get working in the semis today
Christ you know it ain’t easy, you know how hard it can be Christ you know it ain’t easy, you know how hard it can be
The way things are going, they’re gonna crucify me The way things are going, Swedes gonna crucify us
Drove from Paris to the Amsterdam Hilton Umpired the Pan-Am Games in Winnipeg
Talking in our beds for a week Sweating in our chairs for a week
The newspapers said The newspapers said
Say what you’re doing in bed Say what you’re doing up there
I said we’re only trying to get us some peace I said we’re only trying to help keep the peace
Christ you know it ain’t easy, you know how hard it can be Christ you know it ain’t easy, you know how hard it can be
The way things are going, they’re gonna crucify me The way things are going, Keith’s gonna crucify us
Saving up your money for a rainy day Saving up our money for another trip
Giving all your clothes to charity Asking Sports Canada for charity
Last night the wife said Last night the wife said
Oh boy when you’re dead Oh boy when you’re dead
You don’t take nothing with you but your soul, think You don’t take nothing with you but your badge, think
Made a lightning trip to Vienna Marc worked at the Open in China
Eating chocolate cake in a bag While Mike umpired in Sofia
The newspapers said The newspapers said
She’s gone to his head It’s gone to their heads
They look just like two Gurus in drag They look just like two Gurus in drag
Christ you know it ain’t easy, you know how hard it can be Christ you know it ain’t easy, you know how hard it can be
The way things are going, they’re gonna crucify me The way things are going, they’re gonna crucify us
Caught the early plane back to London Made it back to Vancouver Island
Fifty acorns tied in a sack With great memories and some flags
The men from the press The men from the press
Said we wish you success Said we wish you success
It’s good to have the both of you back It’s good to have the both of you back
Christ you know it ain’t easy, you know how hard it can be Christ you know it ain’t easy, you know how hard it can be
The way things are going, they’re gonna crucify me The way things are going, no one’s gonna crucify us
The way things are going, they’re gonna crucify me The way things are going, no one’s gonna crucify us
(Apparently, there was an extra verse dedicated to Paisan, but it was censored by the BWF …)