Kevin Tracey
Hey Neil
I remember and I'm sure a couple of you that read this will also. Life before indoor rinks, before the Zamboni, before tendon guards on skates, before helmets we had Rosemary Lake. Rosemary Lake, where on occasion the whole town of Needham in the fifties showed up to skate. Boys with their watch caps, hockey sticks and a puck. Girls with their figure skates, sweaters and wool mittens. And, we'd skate, all day, the ice usually full of cracks, snow from all the skating and areas where the ice thinned out. Then throw in the sand from the "beach" where we'd put our skates on that blew out onto the ice. It made for some interesting events while out there, falls, puck bouncing God knows where, skating with and against the wind. I met Neil there. We were very young. We both had older brothers that skated, played hockey. There was always a game out on the ice that the older kids played. We, the little brothers would watch. When a puck got shot out beyond their game, out onto the lake, we, the little brothers would race out after it and fight over it to bring it back to the game. We'd always hope they'd let us play. Once in a great while, when they were desperate for another kid they would. They'd stick us in the goal or on defense. Bored with watching, we'd go over to the "wall" the one that was in front of the road and Tillitson's (sp) and practice our shots. Over and over, taking turns, hoping the puck would bounce off the wall and not into the water next to the wall where ice never formed. Never knew Neil's name then nor he, mine. We were just the little brothers. When the day ended, I'd walk home with my older brother, saying, "See ya," to Neil. Thats how I met Neil, just one of the little brothers circa 1955. I got to know Neil in PeeWee hockey and in junior high. Just a solid, good kid. He went on to co-captain our high school team, off to Merrimack College, law school and life on Cape Cod. Never ran into him after high school. Saw his obit, felt sad for his passing and thought about Rosemary Lake , our older brothers and hoping they'd let us play in their game.
So Neil, I remember.
"See ya."
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