Even as he aged into his 90's, Charles "Charlie" McIntosh was still a walking encyclopedia when it game to Gloucester High School sports.
McIntosh, one of the biggest supporters of Gloucester High School sports, passed away on March 9 at the age of 98, but the impact he had on the local high school sports teams will not soon be forgotten. From football to track and field, you name it McIntosh, a 1933 graduate of Gloucester High School and former carpenter who built and remodeled homes on Cape Ann, was a supporter and when it came to Gloucester High School sports of all kinds, he knew the ins and out and the who's who like the back of his hand.
As McIntosh grew older his passion and knowledge for local sports stuck with him.
"You ask him a record holder at Gloucester High School in just about any sport and he knew who it was and what it was off the top of his head," said Pete Kelley of North Shore 104.9, a friend of the McIntosh family through Charlie's' daughter Roberta Seppala, one of McIntosh's five daughters. "He was 98 years old and he's still rattling off Gloucester touchdown records, he was just a tremendous guy."
McIntosh was a wealth of knowledge on Gloucester sports because he has seen the teams in each sport from several different generations. McIntosh had his favorite players in each generation from Anthony "Mooter" Albert in the late 1930's, to Frank Destino in the early 50's to Jay Palazola in the 70's to Andrew Fulford in the 2000's. McIntosh was also an avid football, baseball and track fan as he would regularly be seen at games in town and out of town. He was also a close follower of Gloucester's Post 3 American Legion baseball team.
A friend of former Gloucester football coach Paul Ingram, McIntosh was presented with a Super Bowl game ball signed by the entire team in 2007, 2009 and 2010. The winners of North Shore 104.9's Football Players of the Week, from cities and towns all over the North Shore, would also present McIntosh with a signed football at the end of each season.
McIntosh was also willing to lend a helping hand when needed as he helped drive the 1965 Gloucester hockey team, under then head coach Jack Cannif, to Lake Placid New York in his 1964 Ford Station wagon in the middle of a blizzard. The Fishermen played Northwood School, a Lake Placid area prep school that another one of McIntosh's favorite players, Tom Salah, played at in 2008.
"He was the team's biggest fan and he was always willing to help out in any way he could," Kelley said.
It wasn't just the high school ranks where McIntosh was an expert. He was also known to frequently attend Pee Wee football games around the city to scout out the future stars of Gloucester High.
"I remember him telling me to watch out of this (Kyle) Lucido kid, he is going to be a good one," Kelley said. "Sure enough four years later he's running for 100 yards almost every game, he had such a good eye for talent."
