According to an article by The Guardian, longtime Prince Edward Island harness racing fixture Bill Acorn passed away Saturday, June 5 after a battle with cancer
. He was in his 80th year.
Acorn’s funeral was held today at St. Pius X Church at 10:00 a.m. The interment will take place at the family plot in the Roman Catholic Cemetery in Charlottetown.
According to author Paul Murphy, who featured Acorn in his 2008 book 'Behind The Gate,' a young Acorn started working at the Charlottetown Driving Park when he was just a teenager selling pencils. He moved up in the ranks doing some announcing when needed, selling score cards and eventually doing the charting.
“He was an avid horseman,” Murphy said. “He just loved the game and what it entailed.”
The article states that over the course of his 80 years, Acorn built up a lasting reputation for himself, as he won numerous titles like Charlottetown Citizen of the Year and Legionnaire of the Year. Likewise, he was featured on a poster for the Alzheimer’s Association of PEI, was awarded the title of provincial snooker champion and won a Canadian championship in curling.
Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Bill Acorn.
(With files from The Guardian)