Image credit: Frank Almond, Jr.
Frank Almond, Sr.

Longtime Kamloops resident and former Canadian Boxing Champion Frank Almond, Sr. passes away at age 93

Jun 17, 2021 | 1:07 PM

KAMLOOPS — Longtime and well known Kamloops resident and former Canadian boxing champion Frank Almond, Sr. has died.

He had an incredible career in the boxing ring.

At age 18 Almond won the North American Golden Gloves Championship.

He turned pro and went on to win the Canadian Featherweight Championship, successfully defending the title eight times before relinquishing it undefeated at the age of 25 to move from Vancouver to Kamloops to raise a family.

Almond was inducted into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame and nominated for the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.

There is an interesting story about Frank and the Lou Marsh Trophy, which goes annually to Canada’s top athlete.

In 1947 the early morning edition of the Vancouver Herald newspaper had Frank Almond as the Lou Marsh winner.

Two votes had been missed in the initial count.

Both of those votes went to Barbara Ann Scott.

Frank Almond ended up losing out on the Lou Marsh Trophy by one vote to the World Figure Skating Champion.

A great story teller with a sense of humour, Almond made many friends operating the Kamloops Billiards Recreation Centre on Victoria Street from the mid 1950’s to the early 1990’s.

One of Canada’s great athletes, Frank Almond, Sr. is survived by his son Frank, Jr., two grand children, three great grandchildren and many other family members and friends.

Frank Almond, Sr. was just over a month short of his 94th birthday, born July 25, 1927.