If ever there was a guy who did it all, it was Sam Lavitt.
I just happened to be wearing my RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) t-shirt yesterday when I went to the mall in Independence, MO…
As I’m walking through the mall I pass by an older couple sitting on a bench. I don’t think anything of it but it sounds like woman notices my t-shirt.  I glance in their direction and the lady stops me to ask if I’m with the RCMP. I’m not, of course, but she motions to her husband and says, “well, he’s Canadian.” It’s always nice to meet a fellow Canuck. Naturally, we all get to talking. Well, mostly the nice lady, Bev, gets to talking and her husband, Sam, and I get to listening. Bev tells me that Sam’s from Winnipeg, MB, but they’ve lived all over Canada and the US: Winnipeg, Vancouver, Victoria, Omaha, Seattle, Cleveland, Minneapolis. Sounds like they’ve moved around quite a bit in their lives.Â
Bev says she’s from Omaha; that’s where she met Sam. “Sam was a pilot.” Having been to Omaha a few times, I’m thinking that maybe Sam was based in Omaha at some point. There’s Offutt AFB, Strategic Air Command… I’m not quite sure how old these folks are, but those might be possibilities. “Sam was in the Royal Canadian Air Force,” Bev continues. That shoots down the Omaha idea; pun intended. ;)
Bev asks if I’ve ever heard of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Of course I’ve heard of the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ hated rival! Sam says he used to play for the Blue Bombers but he left to fly in WWII. His coach promised to get him excused from service, but as Sam puts it, “I had three brothers over there so I told him, ‘I’m going too.’”Â
Bev keeps going. “Did you ever play hockey? Sam played hockey.” I played some hockey. It’s pretty much required when you grow up in Canada. I broke my arm in the last game I ever played so it made retirement an easy choice. That was in high school and I was more into music than hockey anyway. “Sam’d never tell you this,” and by now I’ve figured out that it’s because he can’t get a word in edgewise, “but he played with Gordie Howe.”Â
Omaha! Of course! Gordie Howe spent a season with the Omaha Knights before getting called up to the Detroit Red Wings. I’ve already decided to do some investigating when I get home. Right on cue, Bev spells their last name for me: L-a-v-i-t-t. She knows what I’m thinking. She’s funny.Â
Turns out that Sam knocked around the minor leagues for about 10 years. That’s why they moved around so much. he even spent a little time with the Minneapolis Millers back in the day. I ended up sitting on the bench in the mall with these nice folks for about half-an-hour. I bet I could’ve still been there a day later and Bev wouldn’t have run out of stories to tell. Fantastic people! And what a life Sam has had: RCAF pilot in WWII, pro football player, semi-pro hockey player. Not to mention former teammate of Mr. Hockey, himself!
For the Omaha Knights, playing Defence, number 3, Sam Lavitt.
This photo was taken ca. 1946 when Sam played with Gordie Howe. Small world, eh?
Geno
