Page 7 - October 2005 The Game

Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
The Game, October 2005 7 strength, kindness, good nature and loving
heart.
Joe you were “one of a kind” and will be
greatly missed. Rest in Peace. We will always love you.
Son, Frank Courtney, Horsemen’s Bookkeeper at Woodbine, says, “He’ll really be missed at Christmas time. The standing joke about the dishes was always a good time. It was the only time he’d have a dish cloth in his hand and we always took a picture. This Christmas will be tough. I think even last Christmas he knew it was his last. Somehow I think he knew.”
The family would like to extend a special thank you to Chaplain Shawn for your kind words at the memorial.
Continued from Previous Page - Joe still couldn’t speak English and in order to learn the language he watched television. He told Vera that when he went to Calgary the only thing he knew how to order for meals was ‘wieners and beans’ and that’s all he ate for six months. Most people would never want to see wieners and beans again, but not our Joe, he loved them till the day he died.
Joe’s racing career with J.C. Meyer covered all aspects of racing - grooming, jockey and assistant trainer. After many years with Jerry (Bakosish, as Jerry called him) Joe went to work for Larry Moorehead. From there he branched out on his own to train. Some favorites of Joe’s were horses “Pat Answer” owned by Glen Brydson and “Tikvah” owned by Sam Shapiro.
In 1977, Joe won the Vandal Stakes with Tikvah and many more races at the
Detroit Race Course.
Joe then made another career change and for sixteen years he was the farm manager and right hand man to Dr. Robert McMartin. He took great pride in maintaining the farm and clinic and nursing back to health some very notable thorough- breds. Joe didn’t care what the horse was worth, he wanted them to have a quality of life.
Two of Joe’s favourite pals at the farm were two black Labs, Watson and Benson. The dogs really belonged to Robert, but were Joe’s “boys” and they followed him everywhere!
In 1998, Joe left McMartin’s and decided to take it easy, but he could never leave the track, so he went to work for his friend, Peter DiPasquale, walking hots. After Peter’s passing over a year ago, Joe continued to stay on with Peter’s son Sammy, and continued to work in barn 3 until December 2004 which is when he was diagnosed with cancer.
Even after his chemotherapy started and everyone started shipping back to Woodbine he would drive over to barn 3 everyday (if possible) to see his pals and keep an eye on the barn. He was very upset that no one was caring for the tack the way he did and told Sammy as soon as he was strong enough he’d be back to work. One of the most difficult things for Joe over these past few month was to keep his shirt on and stay out of the sun! Everyone who knew Joe, knew how much he loved the sun and that when he got the best tan his blue eyes would sparkle. He actually did mange to get a little tan even though the doctors told him not to.
In 1962, Joe met Vera Courtney and life would never be the same. Along with Vera came two children, Frankie and Barbara. Joe was reluctant to get married and told Vera he’d swim back to Hungary before he’d ever get married. Finally Vera had enough and gave him the ultimatum, shape- up or ship out! Two days later he came back and asked when she wanted to get married. They married on September 21, 1970 and have been true “soulmates”.
Joe was a father to Frank and Barbara, not a stepfather. Son
Frank married Rita in 1975. Joe had a special place in his heart for Rita and loved her as a daughter. Rita loved Joe and always mad Joe feel special, keeping him well supplies with York dark chocolate bars, lottery tickets, lighters and coins for the casino. Rita always tried to disguise her gifts and Joe would always figure out what it was. They had so many laughs together.
Then Frank and Rita gave Joe the best gift of all, two beautiful granddaughters, Amy and Lisa. Joe loved these girls with all his heart and they were his ‘pride and joy’. They loved their Papa who has left them with wonderful memories.
Daughter Barbara married George and the family continued to have many loving, happy, fun-filled times with “Daddy Joe”. The last get together as a family was on
Father’s Day where he looked like ‘the Godfather’ surrounded by people who loved him and admired him so much.
Joe also had the good fortune of a wonderful extended family who he loved dearly, Frank’s in-laws: Janis and Flavio Comin, children Andrea and Mitchell; Christine and Rob Hanet and son Justin; and Bruna, Renata and Laura Comin.
We spent every Christmas together and we all had such a ball with Joe and Flavio keeping everyone in stitches. It was the one day of the year Joe got to do the dishes - it was mandatory the guys did the clean-up! Joe made certain he had his picture taken as proof!
Joe Bakos was a good man, who loved life, his family and friends, the Blue Jays and the racetrack. He will be remembered for his