Memorial

These patches memorialize skaters, officials, announcers, etc. who are no longer with us.

Expired

This patch was created in memory of Captain Left Hook, a referee with Arizona Roller Derby.  It was sold as a fundraiser for EMPACT Survivors of Suicide.

The tribute from ARD reads in part...

It’s with great sadness that we write to you. We have lost a member of our roller derby family. Sean Luoma, AKA Captain Left Hook, has left this world. To say he will be missed is a great understatement.

"Hook” was a fun loving official we were lucky to have in Arizona, and with AZRD. For nearly a decade he helped contribute and grow the officiating community around our sport. Hook got his start in the southeast while stationed in Ft. Campbell, KY and officiated his first game August 5th, 2012 for TRD in Tucson, AZ. He retired from roller derby in 2020 with over 300 career games.

Hook was also a music lover, a cat dad, an army veteran, a movie buff, a driving instructor, a loving brother, and a friend to so many. He often befriended new people in the community, and taught them what he knew about roller derby, never missing an opportunity to cultivate the growth of another derby lover or another friend.
 
Our heart goes out to all that loved and knew him. He had a positive impact on so many in our community that will live on in each one of us. Rest easy to our long time friend, Captain Left Hook, you are with us always.

Expired

This patch really needs to be in two categories: event and memorial.  Event-wise, this is a patch for the winning team at the 2011 MADE tournament, Colossal Coastal Roller Expo.  Memorial-wise, this patch in honor of Judy ("The Polish Ace") Sowinski, a vintage derby banked track skater who served as coach of Penn Jersey Roller Derby between 2005 and 2011.  In her heyday she was a repeat MVP and captain of the New York Bombers.  She is deeply missed by the generation of skaters she trained. More information about Judy can be found on the Penn Jersey Roller Derby history page.

Expired

Danger S was a skater for the Tallahassee Rollergirls (now Tallahassee Roller Derby).  She died of cervical cancer in 2010.   If anyone has more information about her, I'd be glad to add it to this page.  This patch was created in her honor.

Expired

Dr. Awesomesauce was a referee with Dead Girl Derby.  A touching memorial for his passing appears on Kansas City Derby Digest, a website about the derby scene in Kansas City.  It is clear from the memorial that he is deeply missed by the people who knew him.

 

 

Expired

Expresso was a referee and skater affiliated with the Butchers in Kansas City Men's Roller Derby.  He had a heart condition and died during practice.  His friend Stormy created the Expresso Award in Officiating given out during a local tournament, and sold this patch to raise funds for the award.

Expired

This is the memorial patch of Sophie ("Harmstrong") Armstrong.  She was a 21 year-old jammer with Wirral Roller Derby when she lost her battle with mental illness in 2016.  She remains deeply mourned by friends and teammates, who created this patch in her honor.  More than GBP 7,200 pounds were raised my friends, family, and teammates in her memory.

 

Expired

Kenobiwan Jenobi was a skater with Race City Rebels.  He was murdered in 2017 in a case that remains unsolved to this day.  He was a popular skater and a member of the Queer Men's Derby Network and remains deeply mourned by the friends and family he left behind.

Expired

This patch was created in tribute to Louise Rider of Nottingham Roller Derby.  She was killed in a cycling accident in 2014.  In honor of her passing Nottingham began holding a tournament - the Louisey Rider Cup -- to raise money for the road safety charity Brake. Over the years the tournament has raised more than 10,000 British pounds for the cause.

Expired

This is the memorial patch for Luna Lovewound from Burning River Roller Derby (then Burning River Rollergirls) who died of a brain aneurysm at a league practice. Niki was a recent member of one of their B team, the Pyromaniacs. According to Burning River's tribute page, she loved Harry Potter books, drawing, styling hair, and spending time with her friends and family.  She was also one of their four finalists during a "full contact musical chairs" event at a charity bout. She drew the logo for the Pyromaniacs, so they felt it only fitting the logo become a part of her tribute patch.

Expired

Moe Kunkle founded the Rocket Girls Junior Roller Derby League (currently known as Rocket City Rebels Junior Roller Derby).  He was an active part of the league until he lost his battle with depression in 2016.   The junior league issued these patches to everyone in the league, both adults and juniors.  The junior version of hte patch has a green font and border for their team color.  The "seniors" (adults? not sure) received the same patch in blue.  All teams skate with these patches on their uniforms in honor of his contributions to the league and in memory of his passing.

 

Expired

Mary "Rage'ing Blokaholic" Byrnes was a skater with the Burning River Roller Girls who died in a car accident in 2014. She was a rising star in the league who played for several teams including the all-stars, and who swept numerous awards at the awards banquet a month prior to her death.  The league chose to honor her passing with this patch, and many skaters from the league went on to wear her write her number on their calves in honor of what she meant to them. A memorial page is available on the Burning Rivers website.

 

Expired
From Steel City Roller Derby:  It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our dear friend & teammate, Barbara Montgomery, known to many as S'FYA. S’FYA has been an institution at Steel City since transferring in 2016, having also skated for Youngstown Area Roller Derby and the Pennsylvania All-Stars Roller Derby where she was a team captain. S’FYA was known for her hard hits and her big heart, her trademark mirrored visor marking her as a Steel City icon. Widely loved by her family, friends, teammates, and the derby community at large, S’FYA leaves behind a legacy that we are so proud to be a part of.
 
There are hardly words for such awful news, but we send our love to her family and to all those who were lucky enough to know and to love her. We are grieving a titan of the sport and an incredible person, friend, and mother.
 
S’FYA will always have a presence in our league and in the hearts of those who were lucky enough to skate with her. We will be sharing our plans as to how we aim to continue to honor her in the coming weeks after consulting with her family and those closest to her.