Jon Gunn

Another early Scituate High School hockey player, and outstanding student, was Jon Gunn.  Jon was a freshman in the fall of 1957, the first year of SHS varsity hockey.  Although not a big young man at 105 pounds, Jon opted to play defense as opposed to forward.  Most smaller, speedier guys play the offensive positions, but not Jon.  Realizing that most of his squad wanted to play center and wing, Coach Paul Finnegan scrambled to find capable defensemen.  Jon Gunn fit the bill.

 

It should be pointed out that Jon’s father, Ed Gunn, was a member of the three-person Scituate School Committee.  This is the same committee that voted to approve the nascent ice hockey program for the 1957-1958 school year.  The members of the “junior” team of 1956-1957 were told to lobby the committee for funds the following year if they managed to succeed as a “junior” club.  This club did, in fact, succeed by posting a 10-1 record in their first season of organized ice hockey. 

 

It’s possible that Ed Gunn was able to persuade Nellie Sides, another school committee member, that there was enough of a commitment from these young men to warrant funds being earmarked for the new program.  Nellie was apparently influenced by her son Wendell, who was also eager to play high school ice hockey.  Either way, Nellie Sides cast the deciding vote that ultimately resulted in getting the program on its way.  Wendell Sides was a popular 1958 Scituate High School graduate.  He was a loyal supporter of the program for decades.  When Wendell passed away in 2016, the entire Scituate High School hockey team and coaching staff attended his funeral.

 

Jon Gunn played four years of Scituate High School hockey.  Though he didn’t get a lot of ice time his freshman year, he became a starter his sophomore season and remained a core part of that late 1950s–early 1960s hockey contingent.  Jon was a highly regarded teammate and opponent.  Emphasizing his quickness and skating ability, John aggressively covered and disrupted opposing forwards, while selflessly blocking shots in front of his goaltender.  Bruises and broken teeth were often the result, but no one could deny that Jon Gunn, a scrappy defenseman, didn’t play with all his heart.  He was named assistant captain his senior year and was chosen by the Patriot Ledger as a South Shore League All-Star.

 

Perhaps as important as his hockey prowess, Jon excelled in the classroom.  He was the Salutatorian of the Class of 1961 and accepted to Harvard University.  He wanted to play at Harvard but the competition to play varsity hockey was intense in those days.  Canadians were much desired for their hockey prowess at the Ivy League schools and private school kids who were able to play hockey every day had a leg up.  Jon played junior varsity hockey at Harvard and was quite happy doing so.  He loved the game of hockey so much it really didn’t matter who he played for or against.

 

Jon graduated from Harvard and became a certified public accountant.  Later, Jon went to Columbia University for his MBA.  While working for Price Waterhouse in Boston, Jon continued to play pickup hockey in several rinks around the South Shore.  In the 1970s, he was transferred to Miami, Florida where he found, much to his surprise, enough rinks and players to continue playing hockey almost right up until his untimely death in 2007.  Jon left two grown daughters, Alison and Betsy.  He also left a lasting impact on his high school teammates for his hockey skills and fearless play.

 

 

Edited May 6, 2019