Hockey community loses Bill Quinn
By Aaron Paitich
The hockey community lost one of its family members last week.
Coach, ambassador and beloved friend Bill Quinn passed away last Wednesday. Quinn suffered a stroke one year ago in October 2009 that paralyzed his left side, and he never fully recovered. This summer, he began having additional health problems before doctors found an aggressive form of lymphoma that couldn’t be treated. He was 65.
Bill had a hand in the development of many young players and programs throughout the years, preferably at the Bantam levels, including coaching the Southwest Bantam A teams in the late 1960s and early 70s. He also served as a district director for the Minnesota Amateur Hockey Association, which is now Minnesota Hockey.
But he may have found his greatest joy in helping grow the game of girls’ and women’s hockey.
“I think his biggest thrill was when they won the state tournament with Benilde-St. Margaret’s,” Bill’s brother Mike Quinn said.
Quinn coached a number of girls’ hockey teams, including AAA teams, Cretin-Derham Hall and Benilde-St. Margaret’s, in which he served as head coach when the Red Knights won a state championship in 2002.
Athletics/Activities Director Jerry Pettinger knew Coach Quinn well and said his personality, enthusiasm and ability to teach kids was very special to the school and everyone he met.
“The Benilde-St.Margaret’s community will keep Bill Quinn and his family in our thoughts and prayers,” Pettinger said. “Coach Quinn had a passion for the game of hockey and loved working with kids. Bill always had kind words about everyone he ever met and was more than willing to share his knowledge of hockey with those who shared his passion.”
Quinn also served as a long-time Let’s Play Hockey columnist and helped with the Three Star selections at Minnesota Wild games. He mainly wrote about girls’ and women’s hockey.
“Bill was a tremendous supporter of hockey in Minnesota,” Let’s Play Hockey President Doug Johnson said. “He dedicated his life to the game at all levels, but his devotion in later years was to girls’ and women’s hockey. He carried the torch for the advancement of the sport on and off the ice.”
“He loved doing that,” Mike Quinn said. “We would stop by on Friday nights and grab a program over at the University and they were also giving out a Let’s Play Hockey complimentary copy, so we’d grab that and read Bill’s article for the week.”
Bill put countless hours into coaching and developing relationships to cultivate more avenues for young girls. With 125 registered schools playing in the Minnesota State High School League, an increasing amount of college teams and youth programs, Bill’s presence is felt more than ever.
“As it started to first blossom, he got involved and that’s where he really enjoyed to see it grow,” Mike Quinn said. “And he was a good friend of Laura Halldorson’s, and when she became the hockey coach at the (University of Minnesota), it got the kids excited because this was another opportunity for scholarships for kids to go to college.”
There are now 86 registered Division I and Division III women’s college hockey programs, a number that should continue to increase.
Outside of the rink, Bill worked at Dave’s Sports Shop in Fridley and Westwood Sports in Bloomington in team sales throughout the years, but wherever he went, he brought the joy and passion of the game he loved so dearly.
“He’s been associated with hockey all his life,” Mike Quinn said. “He truly loved it.”
Services will be held at 11 a.m., on Saturday, Dec. 4, at Christ the King Catholic Church, 5029 Zenith Ave. S. in Minneapolis. Private burial.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be sent to Benilde-St. Margaret’s Scholarship Endowment Fund at 2501 Highway 100 South, St. Louis Park, MN 55416 or to Cretin-Derham Hall Tuition Assistance Program at 550 S. Albert St., St. Paul, MN 55116.
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