Volunteer Dick Voneugen, giant of Prince George sports scene, dead at 92
A longtime volunteer and athlete who is the only person to be named Prince George's Citizen of the Year twice has died.
Dick Voneguen, 92, was born in Holland in 1932 and emigrated to Canada in 1956, eventually settling in Prince George where he worked as an electronics salesperson servicing the growing forestry industry.
His true passion, though, was sport, and he quickly established himself as a key figure in the local scene, helping found the still-active Prince George Roadrunners running club, building trails and facilities at the Otway Nordic cross-country ski centre and starting the Outdoor Ice Oval committee.
The ski club is now a regular training ground and host to international competitions.
Voneugen was a familiar face at events ranging from the Kid's Fun Triathlon to the B.C. Senior Games, often starting races or cheering on competitors by blowing through first a logging truck air horn and later a vuvuzela gifted to him by a student from South Africa who was studying at UNBC.
He also helped run the Prince George to Boston Marathon (now the Labour Day Classic), where, in 1979, he met Terry Fox. Fox used the run as a testing ground for his famous Marathon of Hope in 1980, which saw him attempt to run across the country on an artificial leg to raise money for cancer research.
Afterward, Voneugen established the city's annual Terry Fox Run, which has raised thousands of dollars toward Fox's original goal, with participants tracing the same path he ran in 1979.
In a 2014 interview published in the Prince George Citizen, Voneugen said that late in his career, he was asked to move to Vancouver, but he opted to retire rather than leave the city he called home.
"Friends have asked me if I'd ever consider moving away from Prince George to a warmer climate," he is quoted as saying. "I have great friends here; we can enjoy four wonderful seasons and get to anything we like within 15 minutes of driving. So my answer is a resounding no."
News of his death was shared by Robin Draper, who worked with Voneugen to establish and manage trails at the Cranbrook Hill Greenway. He said that until recently, Voneugen was in good health and that a medical team ensured that he was comfortable in his last moments.
"Dick had a rewarding long life and will be missed by many," he said.
A celebration of life will be held in the spring.
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