1999 Inductees

Jon Howard Margeson

Dedicated family man, star athlete, educator, coach and leader – Jon Margeson carried on a life long interest in and commitment to athletics in his community and in the schools where he served as teacher and administrator.

After an outstanding high school athletic career at Berwick High, Jon continued to display his talents as both player and team captain on several highly successful softball teams in Berwick in the 1960’s. However it is his tremendous abilities as an initiator, organizer, and promoter of community and school sports for which Berwick is most indebted.

From its inception in the early 1960’s to his untimely death in 1997, Jon was a very active member and chief supporter of the Berwick Tennis Club. In fact, Jon served as president of the club for 18 years. The club enjoyed the support of many hardworking individuals but no one did more for the development of its facilities and programs than Jon Margeson. During the early years of the club, Jon spearheaded the move to rebuild the single poorly maintained clay court into eventually three well-fenced plexipave courts complete with a clubhouse and lights for night play. Regardless of his official position in the club each year, he was the one person who made certain grants were applied for, instructors were hired and that programs and tournaments were arranged. He was particularly concerned with the development of junior players and in the early years, it was often Jon who did much of the instruction and coaching. Later, it was always Jon who ensured that there were summer instruction programs and tournaments and competitions in which the youth could participate. Among his most noteworthy accomplishments were the staging of a provincial invitational junior tournament for many years – a task which he often did single-handedly – and the organization of a Nova Scotia Class B tennis tournament during Berwick Gala Days. In 1988, Jon received the Evangeline Trophy for his tremendous contributions to tennis at both the local and provincial levels.

In addition to his untiring efforts in tennis, Jon was a very active supporter of school athletics in the three schools where he served as principal. He coached a number of different sports but his greatest love was badminton and he routinely turned out individual and team champions for many years. He continued to be an active player in both tennis and badminton and developed and organized adult badminton clubs at both the competitive and recreational levels. For this he received several letters of recognition and gratitude from the Nova Scotia Badminton Association and the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation.

Jon’s many other achievements and accomplishments are too numerous to mention in this brief citation. These include President of the Berwick and District Athletic Association for several years, a charter member of the Berwick Curling Club, President of the Berwick Gala Days for two years, coaching certification and an avid supporter of the Berwick summer swimming program. As one of Berwick’s more famous sons and as one of the most enthusiastic promoters of community athletics, Jon Margeson clearly deserves recognition in to the Berwick Sports Hall of Fame as an outstanding builder.

Inducted June 1999