By Sandy Lubert, BA’89
“Somewhere in your busy life journey, I hope you consider expanding your experiences through a commitment to others in a way that suits your special needs and talents. You will feel most fully alive and will come to be your best self when you are working with others for the sake of a shared ideal.” – Jack Fairs, A Fairs to Remember
Jack Fairs left happy purple footprints all over the Western campus. All over the world, in fact. His formidable impact spans the globe, and the effects of his mentorship are reflected in the successes of former players and colleagues from every walk of life.
Jack was a legend in every sense of the word. A few highlights from the endless list of his achievements and accolades include:
- WOSSA (HS) champion: football, track, tennis, basketball, rugby
- MVP: catcher, Welland Atlas Steels in the Niagara Senior Baseball League (in 1944, when he was 21)
- Fullback: undefeated Mustang Yates Cup championship team (1946)
- Professor: Western’s newly created Department of Physical Education (1947)
- Coach: Western football, tennis, basketball, squash, fishing (yes, fishing!)
Incredibly, in 1949, Jack was also offered professional contracts with both the Chicago Cubs and the Brooklyn Dodgers and worked as a scout for the New York Yankees.
And the list goes on. Jack has been honoured with countless Lifetime Achievement awards, Sportsman/Coach of the Year and is featured in many halls of fame around North America, including the NCAA’s Collegiate Squash Hall of Fame.
It is as a squash coach that Jack made his most legendary contribution to Western athletics. It is here – starting in 1962 when Jack officially began coaching squash – that he perfected his mentorship role. A passionate and lifelong learner, Jack emphasized game strategy and tactics. With warmth and humour, his singular determination and infectious enthusiasm, Jack recruited strong players and built a dynasty. In 1977 Western’s men’s squash team earned unheard-of status when they won the NCAA US intercollegiate title.
The 1983-84 season marked the beginning of a winning streak during which the Squash Stangs claimed 21 individual OUA titles and won the OUA team championship an astounding 31 years in a row. Remarkably, Jack was 60 years old at the onset of this juggernaut phenomenon. Regarding retirement, Jack was quoted as saying that his beloved wife Peigi told him he “wasn’t allowed to coach after I turned 90.”
An outstanding athlete and mentor in her own right, Peigi created a sense of family within the world of Jack’s teams and players. She provided the backbone for Jack’s personal and professional success.
In 2018, the Western Mustangs Sports Hall of Fame honoured Jack with a Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2019, Jack’s memoir “A Fairs to Remember: The Life & Times of Happy Jack” was published. It highlights Jack’s profound and long-lasting influence in the world of sport and his legendary status as an athlete, builder, coach and – most significantly – mentor beyond compare. Jack’s book can be previewed online HERE.
Phil Mohtadi remembers Jack as playing a significant role in his life. “Jack was an excellent coach, both technically and tactically, and played a significant part in my success as a player. But he was much more than that. He became a mentor to all his players, willing to spend countless hours with us discussing our problems and aspirations, encouraging us in our studies, and helping us with our career choices. And when we needed a good word, he was incredibly generous and supportive.”
We lost Jack in August. He was 98, still learning and still smiling. A tribute to Jack Fairs is being planned for the spring of 2022. Once a date has been confirmed, details will be announced.
To view the book, visit this link.