London native Len Foran, a long-time junior golf instructor and Ryder Cup player at the St. Marys Golf & Country Club, was 63

Story by Pat Payton | St. Marys Independent Newspaper

Len Foran, a St. Marys Ryder Cup veteran and avid golf teacher, died on Saturday, Nov. 21 after a courageous battle with cancer.

Foran, a London native, had just celebrated his 63rd birthday with his family.

Foran competed in many Ryder Cup competitions at the St. Marys Golf and Country Club over the years. Good friend Rick Fifield, of St. Marys, said Foran always looked forward to the annual event - featuring the Old Guys against the Young Guys. Due to his illness, Foran was unable to compete in the 2020 golf event in early August at St. Marys.

Foran was also a junior golf instructor at SMGCC for many years. He recently won the 2020 Best of London Golf Award for top golf instructor.

Fifield and Foran were good friends for decades. “Our friendship goes back a long, long time,” Fifield told the newspaper last summer.

The two men were 1983 Willingdon Cup teammates and represented Ontario at the Canadian Amateur golf championships in British Columbia. The other members of that Ontario team, which placed second in the tournament, were Danny Mijovic and Gary Cowan. The Willingdon Cup features the top four players from each province.

A private family service will be held, with interment at Woodland Cemetery, London. In lieu of flowers, donations to Head and Neck Oncology of the London Regional Cancer Program c/o LHSF.ca would be appreciated. More info here.