Bookmark
Jean-Paul Lally Lalonde

Jean-Paul Lally Lalonde[1]

Male 1926 - 2012  (85 years)

Personal Information    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    All

  • Name Jean-Paul Lally Lalonde 
    Birth 13 Nov 1926  Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Burial 2012  Capital, Christus Garden, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Jean-Paul Lally Lalonde
    Jean-Paul Lally Lalonde
    Capital, Remembrance Cremation Garden
    Carleton (incl. Ottawa)
    Ontario
    Death 17 Jun 2012  Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    Obituary 19 Jun 2012  Ottawa Citizen Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    • Lally (Jean-Paul) LALONDE

      LALONDE, Jean Paul "Lally"

      On Sunday, June 17th 2012, in his 86th year. Beloved husband of 56 years of Marjory, dear father of Tracey Lalonde and Tina Klassen (Chris), loved Pa of Matthew and Jessica Klassen. He is also survived by his brother Norman. Lally had a wonderful sports career having played football, hockey, lacrosse and softball. He was inducted into the Ottawa Sports Hall of fame in 1983, and in the Gloucester Sports Wall of Fame in 1987. At his request there will be no visitation. A private family service will be held. The family would like to thank the staff of G1N at the Pearly and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre for their excellent care, support and compassion and would ask that those who wish, make a donation in Lally's memory , to the Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre, 1750 Russell Road, Ottawa, K2G 5Z6.

      Published in The Ottawa Citizen from June 19 to June 20, 2012
    Person ID I2389  Lowertown
    Last Modified 19 Jul 2018 

    Father Anatole Lalonde 
    Mother Alberta Dumouchel 
    Family ID F18420  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Gladys Marjory Rocheleau 
    Marriage 14 Apr 1956  Ste-Anne, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Family ID F1469  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • Lally's stories beat tall tales
      By The Ottawa Citizen July 7, 2008

      Being a living legend has a downside in that too many stories get stretched, and it gets difficult to sort fact from fiction.

      Jean-Paul 'Lally' Lalonde is 81 and in April became a patient/resident at the Perley and Rideau Veterans Health Centre. He's a sports legend because he won national championships in three sports -- football, hockey and lacrosse. During the 1960s and '70s, he was one of the most popular non-political speakers on the Ottawa circuit.

      At the health centre recently, he accepted an invitation to clear up some of the confusion, switched off his television set, and issued a warning: His memory isn't good, he said. He's aware that he sometimes confuses things. But with assurance that details would be checked with his wife of 52 years, Marge, he invited questions.

      Lally picked up the nickname while serving in the Royal Canadian Navy in the Second World War. He crewed on a frigate, assigned to sub hunting on the east coast. Immediately after service, he spent time in Hollywood, and there are stories about how he romanced stars.

      "I tried for a bit part in a movie. Can't remember the name. I dated some girls who were bit players like me, and they later became known. My part didn't get included in that movie."

      Marge: "I think a lot of that (romancing the stars) started from Lally's claim that he almost married Rita Hayworth.

      "It was a joke. He claimed he was such a hot lover that Rita heard about him, but got the name wrong. She married Ali instead of Lally. (In 1948, she married Pakistani Prince Ali Khan.)

      Most of the regulars who gathered around the owner's table at the Belle Claire Hotel through the '60s and '70s were skilled humourists. An infrequent visitor and comparatively light drinker, Lally was always welcome.

      He had control of the conversational ball one afternoon and told of the lowest day of his life. He said he was in trouble at home and staying at a hotel. He was dead broke and decided he had nothing to lose by robbing a bank. He was so broke he couldn't buy gas, and claimed he was the only guy who ever went by bus to rob a bank.

      He had his audience gasping for breath as he dragged out the details of how difficult it was to screw up the courage to walk into a bank, hand in pocket, ready to do the deed. As soon as he stepped through the doors, the manager yelled at him: "Hi Lally!" He didn't have the money for bus fare, and had to walk back to his lonely room.

      Asked at the Perley if he ever really had a day that low, he answered with a question.

      "Did I get a laugh?" Many.

      "Then it worked. I never robbed a bank."

      While speaking at a sports dinner, he was having trouble with a heckler.

      He said "excuse me" into the microphone, and walked into the audience, where he decked a man. Guests seated nearby said he hit the wrong man, and they pointed out the real rowdy.

      Lally thanked them and then decked the right man. Then he returned to the microphone to continue speaking.

      "I remember. I went out into the audience to challenge the guy and he didn't accept. He left. Then one of his buddies wanted to accept the challenge, so I put him down."

      Until the mid-20th century when the gender line started to lift, men often did silly things to establish their places in the male pecking order. Being the toughest guy in town appealed to some, and in the capital, that was Gerry Barber. The legendary bouncer died of natural causes in 1984 at age 54. Many believed the title belonged to Lally, but he didn't want it.

      "Gerry and I tried each other twice. We grew up together in Lowertown and got along. After the war, some friends wanted to see who would win a fight, so we fought.

      "It went on for a long time, maybe half an hour, and covered several streets and ended in Anglesea Square. There was no winner. My dad broke it up.

      "The other time, it didn't go far. We had a great respect for each other."

      In 1956, Lally married Marjory Rocheleau. They have two daughters, Tracey and Tina.

      In 1983, he was inducted into the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame, with this description: "Navy boxing champion, Eastern zone. With Sudbury Wolves world championship hockey team in '49. Pro football with Ottawa Trojans, Rough Riders and Alouettes. Helped Peterborough win senior lacrosse championship and Mann Cup in '51. MVP Ottawa senior lacrosse league 11 years in a row. Coached Hull to Eastern semi-final in Memorial Cup."

      dbrown000@sympatico.ca

      © (c) CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc.

  • Sources 
    1. [S2] page 70.

    2. [S10] Page 130.

    3. [S242] Published in The Ottawa Citizen from June 19 to June 20, 2012.