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Date of Birth: 1965
Place of Birth: Bell Island, NL
Inducted: 2011 (Builder Category)

David Brazil has an outstanding record of contributions to hockey, especially Bell Island hockey, running from 1981 to 2011. It is filled with dedication and successful and important achievements and contributions.

While overall Newfoundland and Labrador hockey has benefited greatly, many separate programs have been extremely fortunate to have him involved. Hockey is a major aspect of his contributions but an amazing number of worthwhile projects and programs are simply more beneficial because of his concern and willingness to devote endless time and exceptional expertise to making life better.

Following in the footsteps of many other Bell Islanders, Brazil has played an extremely important role in hockey and all the benefits that have come from it. In 1991 he started a three-year Bell Island Minor Hockey coaching program that led him to a Bell Island Junior Hockey Team for which he coached, managed, raised funds, found sponsors and recruited players. With help from others the team was established by Brazil. In addition to being the main source of funds for the Bartlett Memorial Arena on Bell Island, the junior hockey club supported a variety of worthwhile Island projects including Minor Hockey.

He was the main force behind the 1999 Atlantic Junior Hockey Championships, the 1998 Provincial Junior Hockey Championships and the 2003 St. John’s Junior Hockey League All-Star game being played on Bell Island. All three important events were very successful, from an organizational and from a financial standpoint.

From 1994 to 1996 he coached a Bell Island Senior Team and was Vice-President of the Avalon West Senior Hockey League. Without dropping any of his activities, Brazil volunteered to coach the Mount Pearl Senior Hockey Team for the 2004-05 season when the club found itself in coaching difficulties.

The Bell Island Sports Hall of Fame is a fine example of his concern for his community. Bell Island owns an extremely colorful and interesting sports history and it was through his leadership, work and determination that a project was established to record this history. A hall of fame was established with a wide range of sports memorabilia collected and suitably displayed on a permanent basis. Under his leadership funding was obtained and the hall is open and maintained on a high level with a large number of visitors, particularly during the summer months.

An extremely large number of former hockey players and an extremely large amount of hockey memorabilia has been recognized and preserved from Bell Island’s hockey past because of his efforts within the hall of fame.

While hockey has been the main aspect of his vast contributions to the community in which he lives, an extremely impressive number of other very worthwhile projects have benefited because of his valuable contributions. Overall they earned him the provincial “Individual Pitcher Plant Award” for 2006.

An impressive ability to work well with others, a genuine co-operative nature, a great grasp of overall situations and an exceptional expertise in the vast majority of the projects and programs in which he is involved have worked for him and his efforts to contribute often and well to the community in which he lives.