WINNIPEG — Jack Widdicombe left for World War II in 1943, hoping to come home and marry his high school sweetheart in the rural Manitoba community of Foxwarren.
Jack was a pilot during the war. On June 12, 1945 he flew his crew in a Lancaster bomber back to Newfoundland, then returned home to his family of 11 on the farm.
“I got through it which I was kind of proud of but there’s lot of people who didn’t,” Jack said. “It’s a job that had to be done I guess.”
He spent two decades working hard as a farmer in Foxwarren, with his three children and wife Florence. They have been married for more than 70 years.
At 65, he decided to try playing golf.
“I wanted to have something to do and I have to stay active,” Jack said.
“I’m just not comfortable sitting around so it took me outside, as I farmer I was outside anyway so I wanted to stay outside.”
Jack, now 95, is left-handed which made it hard to find a set of used, old golf clubs to play with. Once he started, it didn’t take long for him to fall in love with playing the game at the family farm.
“It’s a game you can play by yourself, you can work on it individually,” Florence said. “I play golf every morning when the weather’s nice.”‘
By the time he was 75, Jack felt good enough to start competing and travelling for senior golf tournaments.
“He’s competed in seven Canada senior games, every two years,” Florence said, who can’t help but smile from ear to ear when asked about her husband’s 25 medals, which he has travelled across the country for.
Jack competed in his first Canada senior games in 2002 in P.E.I, then he went to play in the Yukon, then Brockville, Edmonton and the list goes on.
“They’re not all gold mind you, but certainly a lot of them are,” Florence said. “I’m proud as old heck of all his accomplishments.”
Florence takes some of the credit for his great swing because of a song she likes to sing while on the golf cart, Edelweiss.
“I read in a book that in order to… smooth out your wing, sing Edelweiss… that prevents the squirting,” Florence said.
Jack often competes against golfers 20 years younger than him in tournaments.
“It gives me a little incentive, yeah I got too old I out grew the rest of them,” he said. “You have to be honest… there’s no body checking on you but yourself.”
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