A born-and-elevated Collingwood male was just given an award for the two his perform as an accountant, and his contributions to the community.
For this week’s version of People of Collingwood we spoke with Richard McCombie, 70, a retired accountant.
Q: Where by did you develop up?
A: I grew up in Collingwood. I went to Victoria Community Faculty and Collingwood Collegiate Institute there.
Q: The place did lifestyle consider you right after that?
A: I went to Georgian School in excess of in Barrie for organization. It led me into an accounting degree.
Now, I dwell in Guelph.
Q: What manufactured you gravitate towards that career path?
A: I experienced an curiosity in numbers. I always did pretty nicely in math when I was in faculty. At CCI there utilized to be a number of business and accounting classes. I bought interested there.
When I graduated, it produced feeling to me to go into business enterprise.
Q: What took place just after that?
A: I started out operating for The Co-operators in Owen Audio. Monthly bill Reddick in Collingwood bought me a job interview there in 1976.
I labored in the accounting division there and was transferred to Guelph in the late 1970s. I travelled with Co-operators and worked in four or 5 diverse areas. I arrived back again to Guelph about 20 several years in the past.
Q: You were being at the time inducted into the Collingwood Sporting activities Hall of Fame. How did that appear about?
A: I played lots of sporting activities. Hockey and baseball all the way by way of my teenage years. I performed for the junior team, the Collingwood Blues again in the 1970s. One distinct calendar year, I played for the Bantam Legionnaires, and we were the initially Collingwood workforce to earn a North American Silver Adhere title. We gained all Ontario for the Bantam age group. We had been inducted into the Collingwood Hall of Fame.
There had been a ton of good hockey groups in that era. We were fairly productive.
I played soccer, basketball and observe and subject for CCI.
Q: You have been not long ago awarded fellowship position to the Chartered Specialist Accountants of Ontario in January. How did that come about, and what is the award for?
A: This was mainly associated to two issues: initial, my occupation with The Co-operators, in particular on my function on the distribution side by expanding the range of offices across the nation. Next, I have been involved with United Way for more than 30 decades.
I led the United Way in London when I was there and in Guelph for 20 several years. I was interim government director for a time soon after I retired throughout the COVID times.
All those are the two matters the accounting occupation basically seemed at. I was honoured that I received it. I was shocked in a way. I by no means observed myself receiving that.
It’s quite a difference.
Q: How considerably of your good results do you attribute to being born and elevated in Collingwood?
A: I still have a sister up in Collingwood. My mother and dad’s side of the household ended up all in Collingwood. We experienced a supportive (family members), and a neighborhood raises a boy or girl.
My involvement in sports activities and management positions – I bought that expertise by means of all all those groups I was on. We all have distinctive belongings and matters we can convey to the table.
Collectively, we’re stronger. I realized individuals sorts of factors in Collingwood.
Q: What are your hobbies?
A: I continue to play a whole lot of sports, like hockey. I golfing. I continue to have mates in Collingwood and I occur up. I was just there previous 7 days for my birthday on Feb. 10.
There are lots of excellent recollections, family members and good friends that are even now up there.
Paying time with my relatives is my most important pastime.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like people today in Collingwood to know about you?
A: It is nevertheless residence to me. When individuals inquire me where I’m from…my spouse is from Collingwood as perfectly, and we nevertheless say Collingwood.
For our attribute Persons of Collingwood, we converse with intriguing persons who are both from or are contributing to the Collingwood neighborhood in some way, letting them convey to their have stories in their individual terms. This element operates on CollingwoodToday each and every weekend. If you’d like to nominate or suggest an individual to be showcased in Persons of Collingwood, electronic mail [email protected].