London has lost not only one of its most colourful and knowledgeable sports figures, but also a courageous fighter.

On Oct. 31, Harry Gauss, who in 1973 founded the London City Soccer Club along with his father, Max, died after a three-year battle with brain cancer. Harry was 57.

One week before Christmas 2006, Harry underwent a 12-hour operation following the diagnosis of brain cancer. In one of life's strange twists, the week following Harry's death was International Brain Tumour Awareness Week.

You stick around this crazy business of sports journalism long enough and you end up writing about the deaths of people who have made a difference in your own life. Harry made a difference in mine.

He was the epitome of passion. Not only did he live for soccer, but he was also a larger-than-life individual who was always ready with a quip about any topic you wished to discuss that day. You either loved Harry for his passionate character, or you hated him, but you always admired his fortitude.

When I first met Harry in the late-1980s, I was editor at The Interrobang, Fanshawe College's student newspaper. Harry was a Fanshawe Falcons soccer coach, in addition to running the City Soccer Club show at the German Canadian Club's Cove Road Field.

One day, Harry bolted through my office door, introduced himself, and asked me point blank if I had something against soccer.

Admittedly, it was not the first time I was confronted with this question. As a cub reporter at CHLO Radio in St. Thomas, I was once lambasted by a station executive after I tossed the European soccer scores from the newswire into the garbage. I was a close-minded baseball fan. Soccer didn't even register on my radar.

By the time Harry and I finished chatting for about an hour, we walked away friends.

At the time, I was operating with a skeleton staff and was putting in more than 60 hours per week publishing the paper – and without the use of a computer. At the end of our conversation, Harry actually said he felt sorry for me and that he couldn't be angry anymore despite the fact I hadn't given soccer even one line's mention in the paper. But I guarantee you; soccer became a big focus after our chat.

To me, that was Harry Gauss: he fought for what he believed in, but his passion didn't prevent him from seeing the big picture. It's largely why Harry has received numerous accolades from the soccer world, including a Meritorious Award from the Ontario Soccer Association in 2007.

London City Soccer Club remains North America's oldest professional soccer club in active competition. There have been many highs and lows during the club's existence – including economic struggles and soccer's political shenanigans – but Harry kept the club alive. Perhaps his happiest day on the pitch came in 2003 when London City won the Open Canada Cup.

Canadian Soccer League chairperson Domenic Di Gironimo said, "The CSL mourns the loss of one of its pioneers." Outgoing CSL commissioner Cary Kaplan said, "It's a black day for soccer."

Harry is survived by his wife, Kathleen, and sons Ryan and Sean. Harry and Kathleen's son, Paul, died at age 19 from a brain tumour. Ryan has filled the London City chief executive officer and general manager shoes for the past three years, and has just recently put the team up for sale.

A passionate ambassador for the world's most popular game, and a local sports legend, Harry Gauss will be missed.