A MULTIPLE medal-winning athlete and a founding member of the local water rescue team has died.
Joe Mandur Sr., 76, passed away April 20 from cancer.
Mandur competed in swimming with the BC Seniors Games for many years and at the Masters Games, winning numerous medals in both.
“He’s brought provincial medals home. He set provincial records in the pool,” said BC Senior Games Zone 10 director and chair Bill Whitty.
“He’s a super guy, a super, super guy, positive and helpful and his name could be Joe Integrity Mandur without any hesitation,” said Whitty.
“He’s certainly going to be missed within the swimming fraternity within the seniors games and we’re going to miss his medal count coming home,” said Whitty.
Mandur was one of the founding members of Terrace Water Rescue in 1990 after a young boy drowned and a need for a specialized service was realized, said Terrace Search and Rescue’s Dave Jephson.
A group of five or six then came together to form the framework for the water rescue group.
Mandur was a part of the team from then on and took part in many water rescues, said Jephson.
“He was a very proud person, very proud of search and rescue,” said Jephson.
“He was always making sure we were safe and following proper procedures. He was always thinking like that and looking out for the welfare of our team.”
Mandur and his wife Theresa escaped from Hungary following the revolution there in 1956.
They first went to Switzerland and then to England before moving to Vancouver and finally to Terrace.
Mandur worked first at the Pohle mill here before it burned down. He then worked for CN as a track maintenance inspector, living with his family at Telegraph Point between Terrace and Prince Rupert.
An electrician by training, Mandur returned to sawmill work in Terrace, working his way into a supervisory capacity. He ended his working career at Skeena Cellulose.