The recreation and adapted sports community mourns the loss of one of its chief builders

The recreation and adapted sports community in Quebec is mourning the loss of one of its chief builders in the person of Robert Lefebvre, who died suddenly on March 13, 2005, in his seventy-fifth year. He is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Dicaire, his children Monique (executive director of AlterGo and the Défi sportif) (Pierre Bérubé), Alain (Louise Laroche), Robert Jr. (Sylvie Pinsonneault) and Chantal, as well as eight grandchildren and numerous other relatives and friends.

For over 50 years, Mr. Lefebvre contributed mightily to the cause of social justice, vigorously defending the proposition that persons with disabilities be treated as full-fledged citizens in all respects and without reservation. He worked tirelessly as a volunteer in order to ensure that persons with disabilities had the resources and services needed to escape the isolation they often felt, even within their own communities.

Honours and distinctions

In 2002, Mr. Lefebvre was presented with the Dr. Robert W. Jackson Award by the Canadian Association of Wheelchair Sports, in recognition of years of service devoted to the development of wheelchair sports and for carrying on the proud tradition bequeathed by one of the sport’s founding fathers, Dr. Robert W. Jackson.

Pioneer

Between 1951 and 1988, Mr. Lefebvre was a member of the Wheelchair Wonders, the first wheelchair basketball team in Canada. His love of sports would keep him playing until the age of 70, when he retired from competition only on the advice of his doctors.

Over time, Robert Lefebvre served as a volunteer, coach, or was an otherwise ardent supporter of adapted sports. A builder in the true sense of the word, he established two leagues and helped lay the groundwork for several wheelchair basketball teams. In 1984, he was one of the founders of the Défi sportif, an event in which he himself participated until 1999, either as an athlete or volunteer.

In 1995, he was among the first group of inductees enshrined in the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Hall of Fame, an honour reserved for those who had marked the history of the sport. He also received the Bill Hepburn Award from the Quebec Association of Wheelchair Sports, in recognition of his unwavering dedication to the development of wheelchair basketball in Quebec.

“… Robert was one of those volunteers whose quiet leadership and personal involvement contributed, without fanfare, to the development and promotion of participation in sports among persons with disabilities,” stated Roger Mondor, president of the Canadian Association of Wheelchair Sports and coach of the Quebec wheelchair sports teams from 1967 to 1984.

Robert Lefebvre’s contributions to his community extend into other sports, such as track & field, and to recreation in general. Prior to being struck down by a coronary on March 13, 2005, Mr. Lefebvre remained active with Le Grillon, a recreation centre for persons with disabilities that he helped establish in the southwest district of Montreal.

Recently, he was nominated as a candidate for the Quebec Volunteer Tribute Award, whose winners will be announced this spring.

Funeral services

The family will welcome friends and relatives at: Magnus Poirier Funeral Home, 6825 Sherbrooke St. East, Montreal.

Visitation hours – Tuesday, March 15, from 7 PM to 10 PM – Wednesday, March 16, from 2 PM to 5 PM and from 7 PM to 10 PM – Thursday, March 17, from 9 AM to 9:50 AM.

A funeral service will be held on Thursday, March 17, 2005, at 10 AM at St-Fabien Church, located at 6455 Renty St. in Montreal.