Following the sad passing of Essendon Number 1 Ticket Holder Bruce Heymanson overnight, Club doctor Bruce Reid has paid tribute to his close friend.
Reid said Heymanson made a significant contribution to the Club over many years and would be deeply missed by everyone in the Essendon family.
“It is an extremely sad day and we’ve lost a great person and a great friend,” Reid said.
“He’s been a part of the Essendon Football Club for 40 years. He started in the Essendonions as Secretary and then he set up the Red and Blacks, he was pivotal in driving the Dick Reynolds Club, he was on the Board for 10 years and Vice President for sometime as well. He's done it all really.”
Heymanson, who has been the Club’s Number 1 Ticket Holder for the past two years, donated and built the players lounge at Windy Hill, which is named in his honour.
Reid said Heymanson has always had a special relationship with the players.
“He’s raised a lot of money and supported a lot of players throughout their careers in a number of different ways,” Reid said.
“He even helped players after they leave the club by mentoring them and supporting them with making the transition to life after footy.”
“He had so many close and personal relationships with the players.”
Heymanson has played a key role in fundraising for the Club’s new High Performance Centre at Melbourne Airport and worked tirelessly supporting a number of charities over many years.
“It’s not just about what he’s done for the Club but he also has done a lot of work in the community with a number of different charities,” Reid said.
“He’s been involved with the Paralympics, raising money for them, breast cancer research, and his favourite has been the Berry Street Kids and he’s raised a lot of money for them over the years.”
“He just loved the football club, was very passionate about charity work and is a very strong family man, he’s been married 48 years and has three beautiful children and five grandkids.”
“He was always there for his friends and family and he had a wonderful ability to have numerous friends. Whether they were from the car industry, the football club or from up in Yarrawonga, he’s maintained long standing friendships with so many people through his whole life and he never ever lost friends as years went by.”
“He has always been a man’s man and loved socialising and being one of the boys,” Reid said
“I don’t know how, but he managed to get on most of the footy trips with the players and he’d never say no to Scotch.”
