ABOUT ROBERT A. LAVELLE (aka ‘Heater’, Bob, Bobby)
If the measure of a man is the number of people whose lives he has touched and who have been better for it, Bob Lavelle was a giant.
Whether one called him Robert, Bobby, Uncle Bob, or as many did, ‘Heater’, we all knew him to have wonderful and endearing character traits.
Many knew Bob as the Promotions Manager for the city of Niagara Falls. He was also known as the part-owner of the Niagara Falls Mariners and renowned as the part-owner of the infamous Niagara institution – Clancy’s bar. Everyone knew Bob in Niagara!
He was also responsible for bringing the NHL Slo-Pitch tournament to Niagara Falls. In its prime, the tournament was hugely successful with thousands of hockey fans flooding Oakes Park to hunt for autographs and to watch the games.
Bob worked in marketing and developed various high profile events over the years as he served as a long-term, very successful and vibrant employee at Bell Mobility. He also handled all of the marketing for NHL star, Doug Gilmour, after he retired in 2003.
Though he lived in Stoney Creek in his final years, Bob still kept projects going in Niagara Falls, including the Niagara Pro Hockey Fantasy Camp, which teamed hockey fans up with NHL players for an unforgettable experience.
Bob never lost sight of, and was always a huge part of, the community. The two events that have been created in his honour will keep his memory alive while raising funds to support families in Niagara Falls communities.