PANEL-Sommerville_FNL Before becoming synonymous with first class sports retailing in Cobourg, the Sommerville name was a familiar one in the hockey world. Clarke was a native of Toronto and in 1947 his Malvern Collegiate hockey team, with Clarke in net, won the Ontario High School Championship. His next stop was with the Junior "A" Galt Blackhawks where he played for three seasons. The other goalie with Galt at that time was future NHLer Don Simmons. After his Junior career Clarke chose to become a "Free Agent" and played for two seasons in the old American Hockey League with both Washington and Philadelphia. A new chapter began for Clarke in 1952 when he started his sporting goods business at 96 King St. West. In 1953 he married his high school sweetheart, Dorothy, and Cobourg became his new home. Helping the sporting community here became his passion. In 1962 the Sommervilles purchased the old Ashdown Hardware location at 84 King St. West and moved their store to this new, larger facility. In 1978 they purchased a second location, at 78 King St. West. While Clarke Sommerville was now a businessman, he didn't quit his athletic pursuits. He became the goalie for the Cobourg Intermediate Hockey Club winning MVP honours. Many early Cobourg hockey fans rate him as the best goalkeeper to ever play that position in our town. Clarke was also a great swimmer, a fine fastball player and a consistent low 80s golfer. Clarke was a rare individual in the world of Cobourg sport - he gave back to sports far more than he ever took. He served on many boards and executives of Cobourg sports organizations including the Cobourg Church Hockey League and the Cobourg Cougars. His sponsorship of local teams in a variety of sports is legendary. The Sommerville family name is synonymous with athletics in Cobourg. They have helped so many organizations, teams and individuals over the years, many of them in anonymity and without fanfare. Their son David and his wife Mary took over the business in the late 1980s and have continued the tradition of Excellence, Caring and Commitment to Sports in Cobourg. Design & layout by Quench Design & Communications Inc. | Port Hope | www.quenchme.ca Robert Clarke Sommerville A Salute to the Sommervilles! A Sporting Businessman