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Players and coaches alike in the St. Xavier Bombers' ice hockey program considered Lawrence "Larry" Sickman Jr. the "glue" of the team.
The St. Xavier High School community as a whole showed up to support Sickman and his family during his funeral services on July 10 at St. Xavier Church, just as he supported them over the years.
Sickman, 84, died June 30 of cancer.
A Cincinnati native and a proud St. Xavier graduate in the class of 1960, Sickman became a dedicated supporter of St. Xavier hockey over the past several seasons. After he began volunteering as a substitute teacher for St. Xavier in 2017, he felt the hockey team was underappreciated and wanted to provide a supportive voice in the stands, even as he battled a cancer diagnosis.
"They don't get enough support for the work they do," Sickman said in March.
He began attending every single match, home or away, for as long as he was able. At the start of the 2025-2026 season, he drove all the way to the Chicago suburb of Hammond, Indiana, for a preseason tournament. The Bombers' players noticed and wanted to make sure he felt their support in return.
Senior captains Colin Custer and Brian O'Connor took initiative to honor him on the ice. They began wrapping blue tape around their hockey sticks as a sign of support for Sickman, who said the gesture was "gratifying and unexpected."
O'Connor said although Sickman never wanted the spotlight, he was a deeply important figure to the members of the St. Xavier team.
"Larry Sickman was a glue to our team," O'Connor said. "He showed up to almost every single one of our games no matter where it was. He would pull us aside to talk to us in the halls just to ask if we were ready for the game. He is such a light to all of us and is genuinely one of the strongest men I know."
Sophomore Ben Watras echoed O'Connor's sentiments, highlighting Sickman's role as a positive influence not just for the team but the entire St. Xavier community.
"Whenever someone found out they had him (Sickman) for a sub, they would celebrate not because it meant a free bell but because of his generosity," Watras said. "He would walk around the room and hand out pieces of candy to everyone while they worked. He would stop at kids he knew and ask them genuinely about how their year was going.
"Mr. Sickman brought the exact sense of community that St. Xavier believes in, making everyone feel seen and putting smiles on all faces."
O'Connor and Watras were not alone on the team in expressing their appreciation for Sickman's support. Though Sickman's illness prevented him from traveling to every game this past season, he was never far from the ice in spirit. Nearly the entire Bombers' team showed up to pay their respects at St. Xavier Church, where Sickman was a daily attendee.
Sickman's love of hockey began in the '60s and '70s, recalling weekly drives up to Dayton to support the Dayton Gems. Living next door to Cincinnati Gardens, he also recalled supporting the Cincinnati Swords and attending a 1972 match where the Buffalo Sabres came to town.
While Sickman worked as a chemist at Procter & Gamble for 33 years, he also worked to give back to Cincinnati's youth as a Boy Scout troop leader for over 40 years. Before his work at Procter & Gamble, he also served in the U.S. Army Reserves. Though he lived in Cincinnati for his entire life, Sickman also found time to search for adventure, visiting all seven continents.
In lieu of flowers, Sickman asked that any memorial contributions be made to Hospice of Cincinnati or St. Xavier High School.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: St. Xavier ice hockey community mourns No. 1 fan, Larry Sickman
Continue reading...
The St. Xavier High School community as a whole showed up to support Sickman and his family during his funeral services on July 10 at St. Xavier Church, just as he supported them over the years.
Sickman, 84, died June 30 of cancer.
A Cincinnati native and a proud St. Xavier graduate in the class of 1960, Sickman became a dedicated supporter of St. Xavier hockey over the past several seasons. After he began volunteering as a substitute teacher for St. Xavier in 2017, he felt the hockey team was underappreciated and wanted to provide a supportive voice in the stands, even as he battled a cancer diagnosis.
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"They don't get enough support for the work they do," Sickman said in March.
He began attending every single match, home or away, for as long as he was able. At the start of the 2025-2026 season, he drove all the way to the Chicago suburb of Hammond, Indiana, for a preseason tournament. The Bombers' players noticed and wanted to make sure he felt their support in return.
Senior captains Colin Custer and Brian O'Connor took initiative to honor him on the ice. They began wrapping blue tape around their hockey sticks as a sign of support for Sickman, who said the gesture was "gratifying and unexpected."
O'Connor said although Sickman never wanted the spotlight, he was a deeply important figure to the members of the St. Xavier team.
"Larry Sickman was a glue to our team," O'Connor said. "He showed up to almost every single one of our games no matter where it was. He would pull us aside to talk to us in the halls just to ask if we were ready for the game. He is such a light to all of us and is genuinely one of the strongest men I know."
Sophomore Ben Watras echoed O'Connor's sentiments, highlighting Sickman's role as a positive influence not just for the team but the entire St. Xavier community.
"Whenever someone found out they had him (Sickman) for a sub, they would celebrate not because it meant a free bell but because of his generosity," Watras said. "He would walk around the room and hand out pieces of candy to everyone while they worked. He would stop at kids he knew and ask them genuinely about how their year was going.
"Mr. Sickman brought the exact sense of community that St. Xavier believes in, making everyone feel seen and putting smiles on all faces."
O'Connor and Watras were not alone on the team in expressing their appreciation for Sickman's support. Though Sickman's illness prevented him from traveling to every game this past season, he was never far from the ice in spirit. Nearly the entire Bombers' team showed up to pay their respects at St. Xavier Church, where Sickman was a daily attendee.
Sickman's love of hockey began in the '60s and '70s, recalling weekly drives up to Dayton to support the Dayton Gems. Living next door to Cincinnati Gardens, he also recalled supporting the Cincinnati Swords and attending a 1972 match where the Buffalo Sabres came to town.
While Sickman worked as a chemist at Procter & Gamble for 33 years, he also worked to give back to Cincinnati's youth as a Boy Scout troop leader for over 40 years. Before his work at Procter & Gamble, he also served in the U.S. Army Reserves. Though he lived in Cincinnati for his entire life, Sickman also found time to search for adventure, visiting all seven continents.
In lieu of flowers, Sickman asked that any memorial contributions be made to Hospice of Cincinnati or St. Xavier High School.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: St. Xavier ice hockey community mourns No. 1 fan, Larry Sickman
Continue reading...
