RIP Jack Falla

Have just learned of the passing of Jack Falla of a heart attack early this morning....who as many know, Jack contributed mightily to the literature of hockey...leaves behind his wife Barbara, plus children and grandchildren....the wake will be held Wednesday night in Wellesley (not sure yet where), with the funeral mass Thursday morning at St. Pat's in Natick...Prayers and condolences to the Falla family...

 

Never met the man, but read his work often. A sad day for the hockey world.

 

Agreed... always liked his work...

 

Awful news. Wonderful guy who had more energy on his worst day than I possess on my best. RIP.

 

Dan, thanks for posting this.

It's 2006, and I am a reporter for a podunk 15k, charged with writing one of those trend pieces.  Heck, I say, I'll do one on backyard hockey rinks -- it's winter, and I love hockey.  And Jack's the guy to go to for that.  (He wrote about the rink in his yard extensively.)

So I Google up Jack's e-mail.  He replies and gives me his number, and we spend 45 minutes on the phone.  With Jack flippin' Falla.  Amazingly gracious to some no-name punk. Communicated with me after I sent him the story, too.

Met him once years before at a high school journalism conference at BU, but it's not like he remembered me from that.

Not like I kept in touch with him, but I still remember the graciousness.  Sadly, I've read little of his work.  Time to change that.

RIP, Jack.

 

And apparently he has a book coming out, too.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/17854-.html

Damn, this sucks.

 

I feel for his students, too. Just heard from one who had him in class last week. Awful news.

 

Holy crap, that is terrible news.

I'll never forget his line that summed up the 1984 Stanley Cup final between Edmonton and the NY Islanders: "The sleek shall inherit the ice."

RIP, Jack.

 

I know a former student of his and she just idolized him. This is really sad.

 

This info comes from Kevin Dupont re the wake and service

" Patrick Falla, Jack's brother, checked in with following info, which he says also will run in Monday's Boston Globe, and also will be posted on boston.com:

The wake will be held this Wed., 4-8 p.m., at Doherty's, at 477Washington St. (Rte. 16), Wellesley, MA., 02482

More info on Dougherty's:

http://www.gfdoherty.com/


Also.....

The funeral Mass wil be Thursday, most likely at 9 a.m. (note: time could be adjusted) at St. Patrick's in Natick....the St. Pat's address is: 44 East Central St., Natick, MA 01760.

Again, my advice would be to consult either the Boston Globe or boston.com, especially in regard to the Thurs. Mass time. "

 

Damn. Damn. Damn.

Freshman year at BU, Jack came to our Comm Intro class and invites some freshman students to his class. He had invited a hockey beat writer -- from Calgary, I believe -- to come in and talk about working a sports beat.

Anyone who ever met him has to be a better person for it.

Thank you, Jack, and RIP.

 

Wonderful writer. I remember a piece he did on his backyard rink for The Hockey News probably 15 years ago Simple and timeless.