Argo great Dick Aldridge loses battle with cancer
June 28, 2004 - Canadian Football League (CFL)
Toronto Argonauts News Release
Toronto, ON - Former Argonaut linebacker Richard Frederick (Dick) Aldridge passed away following a long struggle with cancer. Aldridge played 117 regular season games during a career in Toronto that spanned nearly a decade from 1965 to 1973.
An active member of the Alumni Association, Aldridge was named to the Association's Executive Board. During his playing days, the hardnosed mid-fielder played alongside Argonaut greats including Pete Martin, Marv Luster, Dick Thornton and Joe Theismann. Aldridge also played under legendary Head Coach Leo Cahill from 1967 to 1972. Aldridge competed in the infamous 1971 Grey Cup appearance when the Double Blue lost an exciting match 14-11 to Calgary.
Former teammate of Dick's, and current President of the Argonauts Alumni Association, Pete Martin was saddened by the news and offered the following: "We played eight years together. Dick was a great athlete who was always very fit and trained a lot. He was a true student of the game, he always spent extra time watching film and educating himself on opponents. Dick was a fine man and a great friend and family man. He will be deeply missed."
Dick Aldridge excelled as a student-athlete while at the University of Waterloo from 1960-1965. He captained the basketball and football teams, and was named a football all-star on three occasions at running back. Aldridge was inducted into the Waterloo Warriors Hall of Fame on March 22, 1985. Following his time in Toronto, Aldridge played for one season in Hamilton before focusing on teaching at the high school level. He was actively involved in coaching minor football and even coached in the OUA with York University.
A celebration of Dick's life will be held on Wednesday, June 30, 2004 at 1:00 p.m. in the chapel of Rod Abrams Funeral Home, 1666 Tottenham Road, Tottenham, 905-936-3477. His family has asked that donations in Dick's memory be made to the Sunnybrook and Women's Foundation, Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund would be appreciated by the family.
The Toronto Argonauts are North America's oldest professional football club, having celebrated their 130th anniversary in 2003. The Toronto Argonauts have 14 Grey Cup championships to their credit. Full roster details are available at www.argonauts.ca. Season ticket hotline: (416) 341-ARGO.
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