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'Voice of the R.I. Reds' Dies at 94

Providence, RI (5/26/2015): George Patrick Duffy, "Voice of the Rhode Island Reds," board member of the Rhode Island Reds Heritage Association and recipient of its Tops Award, died on May 23, 2015, at age 94.

Duffy was the husband of Helen F. (Richards) Duffy. They were married 71 years.

Duffy was born in Pawtucket, the son of the late Frederick Duffy and Emma (Locklin) Duffy.

He was a United States Coast Guard veteran of WWII, where he served on the U.S.S. Menges which was torpedoed by a German U-Boat in the Mediterranean Sea.

Duffy became the Reds team publicist in 1945. Over the next 25 years he became the popular "Voice of the Reds" on radio. Old-time fans still recall his memorable, protracted description of each and every Reds goal, "He scorrrrrrrrrrres!"

While at the old R. I. Auditorium, George Patrick was a jack-of-all-trades. Besides hockey, he also served as publicist for the building and all its events, including basketball, boxing, stage shows, ice shows and circuses. He continued to be an active volunteer in sports, coaching boys varsity high school basketball different levels of youth baseball, where he recorded over 600 career victory.

Duffy was a member of the Boys and Girls Club of Pawtucket's Hall of Fame as well as a member of the City of Pawtucket's Hall of Fame.

Besides his wife Helen, he is survived by his children; Maureen DelMonico and her husband Henry, Kathleen P. Sheldon and her husband David, Susan E. Leach and her husband Ralph (Dennis), Sheila Duffy Lapati and her husband Edmund and George Patrick Duffy Jr. and his wife Maryann. He is also survived by fifteen grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

The funeral for Duffy will be at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, May 28., from the Manning-Heffern Funeral Home, 68 Broadway, Pawtucket. There will be a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. at St. Teresa's Church, 358 Newport Ave., Pawtucket. The burial will be with full Military Honors at the Rhode Island Veteran's Cemetery, Exeter. Calling hours will be 4-8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.

For further information call 401-230-5905 or e-mail RIREDS15@gmail.com.

R. I. Reds Heritage Society
PO Box 504 Lincoln, RI 02895
Telephone: 401-230-5905
email: RIREDS15@gmail.com