As a fixture in the North Shore hockey community for over four decades, Robert “Bo” Tierney touched a lot of people. With the news of his death at age 66 on Tuesday, the local hockey community had plenty of good things to remember about him.
“He was a staple of hockey on the North Shore for more than three decades,” said Kevin Doyle of Hockey Night in Boston. “I always marveled at how Bo managed to juggle his Fenwick schedule to attend the games of his nephews, Josh and Ryan Tierney, when they played at Newburyport High School — another example of his commitment to the game.”
Tierney coached the Bishop Fenwick hockey team for 34 years, compiling 300 wins and three Catholic Central League Small Division titles (1995, 1996, 2009) along the way. His Crusaders went to the state playoffs 13 times in his tenure, and he was inducted into the Massachusetts High School Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He also served as Fenwick’s athletic director for 10 years.
“He was loyal to Fenwick, and he dedicated his entire adult life to Fenwick athletics and it was obvious to everyone,” said St. Mary’s hockey coach Mark Lee, who first met Tierney when Lee was still a player at St. Mary’s in the late 1970s. “And when I became a coach, he always made me feel comfortable and we became good friends.”
When asked about his impact as an ambassador for high school hockey, Lee simply said, “There wasn’t anything important going on that Bo didn’t have a hand in, and he’s been missed since the day he retired.”
After his successful tenure at Fenwick came to a close, Tierney found his way behind the bench across town at Peabody High, where he was an assistant coach and an advanced scout. And it’s no coincidence that the Tanners ended up the Division 2 North title game in his first year there.
“Bo gave his whole life to the game of hockey and helping kids,” said Peabody hockey coach Mark Leonard, who has also known Tierney since playing for Peabody High. “I always respected him when I played, then we coached against each other for 20 years before he came over to our staff, so we’ve been through a lot. He even came to my wedding. But he was a great guy who did a lot for the game of hockey, and he’ll be missed by us all.”
As news of Tierney’s passing spread, many more former players, students and colleagues expressed their condolences and memories on social media. It’s clear that Tierney made a mark on the community he spent so much time with.
