White, Kelley, Parady among ‘Sports Legends’ McCallie, Rodrigue also bound for ‘Hall of Honors’ on Sunday

AUGUSTA – Maine Sports Legends will induct Robert White, Robert “Punk” Kelley, Paul Rodrigue, and Joanne P. McCallie into the Hall of Honors at the Augusta Civic Center Sunday. Bernard “Bunny” Parady will be inducted posthumously.

The inductees are being honored for their contributions to Maine athletics and youth. They will be inducted following the organization’s annual banquet at the ACC.

Mary “Kissy” Walker of Bangor, the organization’s president, said the mission of Maine Sports Legends is to provide scholarships for outstanding Maine high school scholar athletes. The banquet proceeds are used for that purpose.

Walker said four male and four female recipients, selected by committees located in four regions of the state, will be recognized at the banquet.

The scholar-athletes who receive $500 scholarships are: Ben Wakana (Caribou), Natasha Deschene (Presque Isle), James Ramsdell Jr. (Washington Academy of East Machias), Tamlyn M. Frederick (Foxcroft Academy); Shawn Paquette (Thornton Academy of Saco), Melissa Verrill (Sacopee Valley of Hiram), Alexa Kaubris (Dirigo of Dixfield), and Jonathan M. Pirruccello (Leavitt of Turner).

For 20 years, WHITE volunteered hundreds of hours every summer as president of the Caribou Little League program. In 1980, a new Little League field was named in his honor.

The city of Caribou designated July 12, 1997 as Robert P. White Day in recognition of his work with the program. He remains active as an umpire in the program and served as vice-president of the league last season.

White was a physical education teacher for 35 years and also taught biology, health, driver education and served as a teaching principal during a career that began at Patten Academy and continued at Houlton High School, Bridgewater Classical Academy and Limestone schools.

White is a charter member of both the Maine Association of Soccer Officials and the Northern Maine Board of Approved Soccer Officials. For 31 Years, he officiated 1,300 games on all levels, retiring in 1997, but continuing as state of Maine and board rules interpreter until 2002.

KELLEY taught physical education for 28 of his 40-year career in education at Fifth Street School in Bangor.

In his 32 years as Bangor High’s baseball coach, Kelley’s teams won eight state titles, 15 Eastern Maine titles and compiled a record of 479-89. Kelley was also a well-respected junior high school basketball coach and high school basketball official.

PARADY, an Old Town native, taught and coached at Mount Desert from 1954-68 in the sports of basketball, baseball and cross country.

Parady became athletic director, math teacher and boys basketball coach when the school became Mount Desert Island High School in 1968. He coached for another 12 seasons and compiled a 360-186 record in basketball. He took his team to the tournament 24 times where they compiled a 40-17 record, won seven Eastern Maine and four state championships.

RODRIGUE was head coach of the fledging Cony High School ice hockey team from 1982-86 and became the Gardiner hockey coach in 1988.

Rodrigue coached the Kennebec Peewee travel hockey team in 1989 and, in 1990, managed the Augusta Little League All-Star team to a state championship and a third-place finish in the Eastern district regionals.

Rodrigue also led additions and softball field renovations at Cony High and UMaine-Augusta and is now spearheading construction of new softball facilities at Thomas College in Waterville.

He also coached softball at UMA and became head coach at Thomas in 2003, gaining titles at both schools.

A native of Brunswick, McCALLIE coached the University of Maine women’s basketball team for eight seasons, guiding the Black Bears to seven straight 20-win seasons and six straight NCAA Tournament appearances. She was named conference coach of the year three times.

McCallie arrived at Michigan State in March of 2000 and has built the Spartans into a national power. She has guided MSU to three NCAA Tournaments, including the national championship game, last season. McCallie was named the Associated Press and Nike National Coach of the Year.

The banquet begins at 12:30 p.m. after a social hour at noon. For tickets or more information, contact Paul McClay at 622-1539.