Nova Scotian Olympic boxer Carroll Morgan dead at 70

Carroll Morgan, a three-time Canadian boxing champion who was the country's top heavyweight at the 1972 Olympics, died suddenly in his home on Wednesday night. He was 70.

Morgan, born in Antigonish, N.S., but raised in Cape Breton, was a member of the 1972 Canadian Olympic team in Munich, West Germany. He ranked fourth in the world as a heavyweight and was also a member of the 1974 Commonwealth team.

Throughout his 20-year career, Morgan held heavyweight titles as a seven-time provincial champion, four-time Atlantic champion, three-time Canadian champion, one-time Eastern Canadian champion and one-time North American champion.

Late bloomer

Morgan did not play organized sports until he enrolled at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish. He played football and rugby and only took up boxing at age 20.

Alan MacDonald first met Morgan in 1969 when they both worked the doors of the now-defunct Orient Lounge in Antigonish. Although Morgan was still new to boxing at that point, MacDonald remembers being impressed by his co-worker's powerful physical presence — a presence that came in handy when dealing with rowdy patrons.  

"He was tough, probably one of the hardest hitters I'd ever seen," says MacDonald.

The two went on to be close friends for the rest of Morgan's life.

Morgan trained with the late coach Taylor Gordon when he returned to Nova Scotia from Munich. Gordon's son, Wayne, recalls seeing Morgan encouraging younger members of the Citadel Boxing gym.

"He loved to mentor other people in the gym," said Gordon. "He was like a gentle giant."

Morgan went on to work as a school teacher for 20 years following his retirement from boxing.

His son, Joseph Morgan, said his father enjoyed helping others.

"He touched a lot of people's lives whether it was teaching or teaching people about boxing," Morgan said. "He was a very big part of other people's lives, and I'm just happy I got to share him with everyone else."

Carroll Morgan received some of the top honours in his sport as a 1990 inductee into the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame as well as the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame, which enshrined him in 1994.