Dick Turner has been a member of the Home Events staff since 2006, most notably in a stats-keeping role for football, basketball and volleyball, but he also helps out in any role he can. He has surpassed 1,000 games as a statistician between his time here at Queen's and at St. Lawrence College, and has worked numerous other games in different roles. Dick is a StatCrew expert and has helped train numerous Home Events staff on the program over the years. This year in particular, Dick went above and beyond to ensure the new Home Events team was fully equipped and knowledgeable for the first season in over two years. Given the circumstances of this year, Dick has also dedicated many hours filling in positions when the team was short-staffed. He treats every staff member, athlete, coach and referee with the utmost kindness and respect, putting a smile on everyone's face when he arrives.

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"Dick got in touch with me in the summer of 2006 offering his services, specifically on the basketball table. As a retired teacher, he had the time, a love of sports and a keen interest in being involved. We welcomed him to the team, especially since he was willing to take on learning and teaching the new basketball and Football stats program. He spent many unpaid hours making sure that he knew the program and that the stats were correct, often watching the game back again to confirm. 

"Throughout the years, Dick became a resource for all new Event Coordinators and Sports Info staff as well as a well-respected part of the team. He was always sharing a joke, a puzzle, or some kind of in-game staff survey. He picked up shifts to help out, but always wanted to make sure that the students had first choice. Over the years, he was involved in many national and provincial championships and took pride in being a part of the big events.  

"His love of stats showed up in his record keeping of his own events. In total, Dick has worked 377 events for Queen's since 2006, from football to figure skating (and it would have been more if he did not head south for the winter months)." - Kelly Smith, Home Events Coordinator/Coordinator, Sales and Service (2006-Present)

"During my first ever shift scoring basketball, the gentleman looking after the scorebook slid a note across the table with a big smile. When I opened it, it said, "Hi I'm Dick." I didn't know whether to write back or speak in response. So, I just sort of smiled. This was my first impression of Richard Turner. I'm quite sure this wasn't the last time that Dick left us puzzled and smiling. For the next five years working with Dick, I was lucky to not only enjoy his company on the score table but also at the stadium. Dick has undoubtedly logged more hours keeping scores and stats than any other Events Team member. He is a fixture of score tables across Kingston and could always be counted on when we needed support. Thanks for your dedication to local athletics (and the team behind the athletes.)" - Kristina DaOust, Home Events Staff (2007-2012)

"Queen's Athletics has emphasized the mantra of "Lead the Way" and when it comes to serving as a member of the Home Events Staff there aren't too many others who exemplify this idea more than Dick Turner. Dick is passionate, professional, and dedicated to providing the best experience for our student athletes, fans, and community members and values the details and intricacies of providing a world class event." - Kyle Compeau (2010-Present)

"I met Dick when I was the Home Events Intern at Queen's in 2010-11. After Queen's, I took a job at St. Lawrence College Athletics where I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Dick worked the basketball table there as well. When I left SLC and took a job at RMC Athletics, I assumed I wouldn't hear from Dick anymore, but one day his name popped up in my inbox. Since then, we have continued to keep in touch over the years through email or Facebook messenger, lunch and coffee dates. Just a few months ago he was cleaning out his basement and found some kids toys and offered them to my boys - when I picked them up, he met me in his driveway in PJ pants and a Queen's hoodie! 

"Dick's passion for intercollegiate sport stats is like no one I have ever met! Not only could you rely on him to accurately track the in-game stats, but he could also tell you at any time how many games he has worked for, what sport, and at what school. In 2018 he told me that after 388 basketball games at SLC he retired from stats and moved to "scoresheet guy" - I wonder how many games he is at now!?

"Dick goes above and beyond to help in any way and is always one of the first people at the score table before the game, and the last person to leave. I am so thankful that I have met Dick and have been able to keep in touch with him over the last 12 years. I often refer to him as my "Kingston Grandpa." I always look forward to our conversations, and believe he is very deserving of this award!" - Samantha Linton (Rocheleau), Home Events Intern (2010-2011)

"What I appreciate most about Dick is how generous he is with all of the knowledge he's gained throughout his time at Queen's. He's the department's expert on football stats and is willing to teach anyone (even a fresh sports student like me) and do it with incredible patience. But his expertise is not his only strength: another great thing about Dick is that he's willing to do just about any job there is, regardless of whether he's ever done it before. I would laugh to myself when, in one weekend, I might see him doing stats at football, containing the crowd at rugby, and even taking the mic at a hockey or basketball game. The way he's willing to try new things and continue to learn new skills is incredibly admirable. Every facet of Gaels Home Events continues to benefit from Dick's humble presence." - Peter Reimer, Sports Information (2013-2017)

"When I think about my experience as a Home Events staff member, Dick Turner is one of the first things that comes to mind. Dick made it fun to come to work and his enthusiasm could not be matched. I have never met someone who is not only so passionate about sports but is willing to take on any role, at any time of day, at any location and stay so positive (even when someone said the dreaded word, overtime…). 

"One of my fondest memories of Dick is learning how to "print" properly in the basketball scorebook role. Dick taught me that there should never be any "curly" Qs or Rs and that block letters were a must. He even made everyone a "How to" print guidelines sheet and bought me a handwriting book to practice. Man did my printing improve after that year! From his numbered socks, to his "Vince Lombardi time", Dick is the epitome of what it means to "Lead the Way" as a Home Events staff and was the most fun to work with!" - Sarah Utting, Home Events Staff (2014-2017)

"Dick Turner is truly a pillar of the Queen's Home Events team. His enthusiasm is contagious, and he shows it at every single event. He brings integrity, passion, and his humour to each game he works. A great mentor, colleague, and friend. Congrats Dick!" - Connor Scholl, Home Events Supervisor (2016-2020)

"There is no one more reliable than Dick. His knack for stats, his willingness to patiently share his pro-tips with new staff, and his kind-natured spirit are some of the ways Dick has cemented his place as an all-time favourite Home Events staff. The game day knowledge that lives in Dick's brain has a limitless value and his even-keeled demeanor during a tense game is a veteran play. He brings a smile, a snack, and stories about a recent or upcoming travel plan every time he comes to the gym, the rink or the pitch. Dick's commitment and contribution to the Gaels goes unnoticed by many but is one of the most important pieces of game day success. It has been a pleasure to work with and become friends with Dick and I hope he's forever keen to remain the sixth man on the Home Events team." - Matteke McAuslan (Hutzler), Home Events Coordinator (2017-2020)

"I have had the pleasure to work with Dick for that last three years. Dick is the heart and soul of Home Events. He doesn't do it for the money, but purely out of passion and the joy it gives him. He is one of the most dedicated people I know and am forever grateful that I have been blessed with the opportunity to learn from him." - Jessie Chen, Home Events Supervisor (2018-Present)

"With the post-pandemic Return to Sport coming so quickly this past year, Home Events struggled to find experienced staff, which meant we had to start training from a clean slate. Dick graciously stepped up to take on the challenge of training staff who had no prior experience working at Queen's Varsity Events. With only three days left before football started, and no staff trained on statistics, Dick saved the day by dedicating time in his week to coming in and teaching our junior staff the ins and outs of StatCrew. And later in the football season, Dick got the incredible opportunity to be a part of his second Yates Cup, taking statistics again (his first was in 2009). He continued to train our staff leading into the winter season, but instead of training staff for one position, he took the initiative to train multiple positions at the basketball score table. It was extra important this year to make sure we had enough staff to be able to work at the U SPORTS Women's Final 8 Basketball Championship we were hosting in the spring, and Dick went above and beyond to make sure we had enough staff interested and able to be a part of this event. There are seven different positions at the basketball score table and I can confidently say that Dick has mastered every single one over his years at Queen's, and I trust that he could do all seven positions at once if he tried!

"Throughout the year, Dick has filled my inbox with his nostalgic memories at Queen's, positive feedback on events, and his eagerness to help out as much as he possibly can. He would never take a job if a student staff was able to, meaning he would pick up many shifts at the very last minute. Sometimes I wouldn't even know if Dick was working until he showed up for his shift, as he would wait until almost game time to see if a student staff would have grabbed the shift. My favourite memory of this was at the U SPORTS Women's Rugby Championship this past fall. In the freezing cold, Dick showed up to help us out with crowd control at a rugby game as he noticed a shift wasn't picked up, simply because he loves being involved. He doesn't do it for the money considering he has told me countless times he doesn't want to get paid - this shows his passion for sports and the Queen's community. Having worked alongside Dick as a casual staff, to now being his coordinator, it has never been more clear to me the amount of care he has for all Home Events staff. When I joined as a new casual staff, I distinctly remember Dick being so welcoming at my first basketball game. Fast forward to today, he has done so much for me as the coordinator to ensure that staff are properly trained and to make sure no shifts would be left unfilled. Dick is the heart and soul of Home Events and continues to make a positive impact on every staff member on our team." - Maddie Love, Home Events Supervisor & Coordinator (2017-Present)

"Dick was an invaluable resource as I navigated my first season of sports information and stats for football, and I quickly learned I was just the latest of many people at Queen's he has gone above and beyond to help. I look forward to seeing Dick before every football game as we all get ready for the action, as well as every other time I see him helping out at a Queen's game, whether at the score table or elsewhere." - Ben Fisher, Communications Coordinator (2021-Present)