Teacher, promoter, friend Mike Patry remembered

It’s never easy to say goodbye to a friend, a colleague, a father, a son, a leader…especially when it’s unexpected.

That’s something hundreds upon hundreds have dealt with over the past week with the sudden loss of Michael Patry Tuesday at the age of 42.

Patry was a longtime teacher at Ecole Secondaire Catholique Theriault (ESCT), adored by many of his former and present students and well known for a unique classroom setting, littered with movie posters, bobbleheads and wrestling memorabilia.

Thursday was a tough day for many at ESCT, as the school held a celebration of his life on the first day of the week school buses were running for local students.  It was complete with powerful poems, touching tributes and an exchange of memories that left no seat unfilled and no eye dry in the house.

The atmosphere alone could tell you how much of a positive impact Patry had in and out of that school.

But it wasn’t only his work at ESCT that made him a well known fixture in the community.

Patry was perhaps best known in professional wrestling circles as a tireless, dedicated promoter of Max Pro Wrestling (previously BSE Pro) and responsible for regular shows in Timmins since 2006.

He was also a former Chair of the Cochrane District Crime Stoppers program and even delved into the world of movie screenings with Croww Promotions last fall.

One of his longtime friends and promotional partner was Timmins Police Constable Rick Lemieux.

“(Mike) was one of the nicest, well respected and genuine people you could ever meet,” Lemieux wrote on Patry’s Facebook wall.

He also spoke of Patry’s desire to bring wrestling back to Timmins back in 2005 and admitted Patry did most of the work.

Lemieux added Patry did it all to give Timmins wrestling fans entertainment and to give several organizations a generous donation.

Lemieux did some in-ring work too, from a ring announcer to a last-minute referee.  He even got into a match at one point.

He also gave myself several opportunities, from high school volunteer hours to set up chairs at shows to becoming his ring announcer over the last couple years.

Providing those opportunities showed how giving Patry was as a human being.  When he wanted to speak to fans to show his appreciation, he didn’t want any glitz or glamour.  (He’d tell me a few times to keep his intro simple and to the point…did I listen to him on that? Not so much.  But the attention he got was well earned for the work he put in.)

He just wanted fans to go home happy, and his wrestlers to go home satisfied and wanting to come back.

That effect was seen with many wrestlers expressing their own tributes.  We’d put them all on here, but there’s too many to count.

The list of workers that have come to Timmins because of Patry—whether it be a show, an autograph session or a talk to his students—is a who’s who in sports entertainment.

Former WWE world champions like AJ Styles, Kurt Angle, Christian and Kevin Nash.

WWE Hall of Famers like Trish Stratus and Jake “The Snake” Roberts.

Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode, Robbie E, Traci Brooks, Victoria, Terri Runnels, SoCal Val, Tommy Dreamer, the list goes on and on.

And not to forget Lance Storm, a former WWE Superstar that collaborated with Patry with a book club to better teach students at ESCT.  It was with that venture the two became good friends and eventually led to Storm working a Timmins show in 2007 against Christopher Daniels.

The last show in October 2016 was a co-promotion with Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force Wrestling, and just so happened to be GFW’s first-ever venture to Canada.

Passionate fans continued to frequent the shows but it was perhaps Patry’s reputation that kept wrestlers coming back.  A reputation that Dreamer summed up eloquently.

“He took care of every wrestler that worked for him,” he wrote on Twitter.

Patry re-opened Timmins’ door to the pro wrestling world and it remains to be seen where things stand on that front with him gone.

What isn’t gone is the legacy he has left behind.  One of honour, respect, hard work and love for everything and everyone he came in contact with.

He also leaves behind his young daughter, Scarlett, and many friends, family and colleagues.