Bay Roberts honours an all star

By Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Olivia Bradbury

The Town of Bay Roberts has honoured the legacy of a well-known athlete by installing a storyboard at the Community Gardens dedicated to Ward Gosse, who passed away suddenly at the beginning of 2025.

Gosse grew up in Bay Roberts, and excelled at hockey and softball, among other sports. In senior hockey he won five Memorial Herder Trophies with various teams. But he was arguably best known for his softball career, in which he excelled at the provincial, national, and international levels.

The Community Gardens where the storyboard is located used to be Bay Roberts’ old ballfield, where Gosse played softball in his youth. The storyboard is located where home plate used to be, and a replica home plate sits at the base of the board. The storyboard was unveiled during a ceremony at the gardens on August 1.

Mayor Geoff Seymour remarked that although Gosse eventually settled in Torbay, he remained connected to Bay Roberts through his family and his sports roots.

“Heroes get remembered, but legends never die,” said the mayor, quoting a line from the film Sandlot. “Ward was a hero to the people who loved him, and on the softball field he became a legend.”

Gosse served as a councillor in Torbay from 2021 until his death. After his passing, a road near the arena in Torbay was named Ward Gosse Way in his memory. Ward’s wife, Karen Gosse, now serves on the Torbay council.

“The one thing that I know about him was his dedication to things. And he couldn’t have had the success that he did unless he was dedicated and committed to doing them,” said Torbay Mayor Craig Scott.

Speakers at the ceremony emphasized that Gosse was much more than his athletic accomplishments. They all described him as a kind person and devoted family man.

“Ward’s greatest achievements weren’t measured by championship or trophies,” said Neil Benson, a former teammate, coach, and friend. “They were measured by the love that he had for his family and his friends.”

Benson said Gosse had looked out for his son, who struggled with mental health in his youth.

“So, whether serving as a councillor in the Town of Torbay or coaching young athletes or even at his job, I think Ward understood that success meant very little unless you help others along the way,” said Benson.

Benson said he hopes every young athlete who visits the Community Gardens will read the storyboard and learn that greatness is not only measured in championships, but in qualities such as kindness and love.

Addressing Gosse’s parents, Lewis and Janet Gosse, Benson said, “I hope it brings you comfort to know that Ward made this world a better place. He will never be forgotten, and he will always be one of Bay Roberts’ finest men.”

Glenn Littlejohn, another former teammate, coach, and friend, said Gosse transformed and grew as a person after the birth of his eldest daughter, Cassidy, who he loved to bring to the ballfield. Littlejohn noted Gosse played sports well into his middle age, and would probably still be playing if he were alive today.

“Winning followed Ward,” said Littlejohn. “If you were on a team with Ward Gosse, you had a chance to win because Ward always loved the big moment. And he would get you that big hit, he would get you that big strikeout. But most of all, Ward Gosse was a great man. He loved his family.”

Gosse’s father-in-law, Dennis Brown, used to chair the Bay Roberts’ recreation commission. It was through this role that he first met Ward when they hired him as a coach. One of the tasks Gosse was given was to gather a girls softball team to compete in a tournament in PEI. The centerfielder was Brown’s daughter, Karen, who would go on to marry the coach.

Brown shared that, following Gosse’s passing, the International Softball Congress renamed its Legends division MVP award, which Ward had won twice, the Ward Gosse Memorial MVP Award. Karen was invited to Minnesota last summer to present the award to the winner.

Karen recalled the first time she had seen Gosse, as a child, was in the park that is now known as the Community Gardens. He was on the swing set singing the theme song of Greatest American Hero.

“And I thought to myself, ‘My God, that boy has confidence.’ And I have thought that to myself for the 30 years that I spent with Ward,” said Karen.

She commended the Town for locating the storyboard at the field’s former home plate. “For me, and for anybody who played ball, we know that home plate is where every journey begins,” she said. “It’s where hope lives. It’s where one single swing of the bat can change the entire game. And it’s where everybody who’s in your corner is waiting for you with high fives and open arms to bring you home. So, this could not be more perfect. Thank you.”

The storyboard was unveiled by Gosse’s son, Samuel, and youngest daughter, Makay. Beside the board is a bench where visitors can sit and appreciate the memorial.

Mayor Seymour said the Town has renamed its Hall of Fame Award in Gosse’s honour. It will be presented under his name for the first time at the town’s athletic awards in September.

“May his name continue to be spoken,” said Seymour. “May his story continue to be told. May the memories continue to make us smile. And may every kid who comes through this garden know that a great softball pitcher once stood right here. A local boy who took a game he loved and made something truly special of it.”