Manitoba residents knew him as the voice of sport. On January 30, Bob Picken passed away at Riverview Health Centre in Winnipeg.
Bob Picken spent most of his life talking about sports events in the province. He saw the birth of such a sports legend as Winnipeg Jets and covered everything related to hockey and curling. In 2017, the sportscasting received the Order of Manitoba for his contribution to the sport life of Manitoba.
"Our family were very, very proud of that fact he was recognized. Even for himself it came out of nowhere," said Bob Picken Jr., his son. "It was very well deserved based on how much he has given back."
Bob has a wife, three children, six grandchildren and one great-grandson.
"First and foremost, he was a family man, when he spent time with us it was very special," said Bob Jr. "I would like him to be recognized as an individual who gave back to the community, not just the sports community."
The guy said that curling was the love of life for his father. He believed in the development of this sport in the province and the country as a whole. Resby Coutts, the former president of CurlManitoba, also said that Bob made a considerable contribution to the history of curling and the province will never forget him.
"He made sure curling was acknowledged as much as other high-level sports, he kept curling in the forefront," he said. "He was a great PR person for the sport."
The man added that Picken was an example for many sports commentators and they always learned from him and wanted to be like him.
Picken’s son noted that his father was always ready to help and share his experience with the people who surrounded him. He was a very kind man, and this is a big loss for the family and Manitoba.
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