Corner Brook mourns loss of athlete Shawn Neary, dead at 43
The Corner Brook sports community is in mourning after the sudden death of one of its most avid athletes, Shawn Neary, who died Aug. 24 in the arms of fiancée Joy Green.
The news of the 43-year-old's death set social media alight, with an outpouring of condolences for the multi-talented multi-sport athlete.
Neary's athletic abilities were well-known in Corner Brook and beyond: he played ball hockey at international tournaments, was on the roster of the Corner Brook Royals senior men's hockey team, and also excelled at soccer, baseball and darts on competitive levels.
"Any teams he played with, he was usually the captain on the team. He was a leader," said Darren Simmonds, a friend and teammate of Neary's for more than 20 years.
"Any teams that were successful coming out of Corner Brook usually had Shawn on board, and it's hard to swallow in this city. He's definitely affected most people in the city."
The City of Corner Brook flew flags at half-mast outside the hockey arena entrance to the Civic Centre when the news broke.
"He was a leader, no doubt. But he was a go-getter. He strived to succeed. If you were on that train of thought with him, you succeeded too," said Simmonds, unable to hold back his tears.
"He wouldn't stop. He wouldn't stop until he knew you were at the level you were supposed to be at."
In addition to his fiancée, Neary leaves behind two young children: Ryan, 5, and Lexi, 2. His funeral was on Saturday.
