The local sporting community was yesterday mourning the sudden passing of Lawrence (Stickers) Hendrickson, Jr.

Last night's FA Cup quarter-final replay between North Village and Boulevard was postponed as a result, upon a request from North Village of which Hendrickson was a member.

Members of both clubs, as well as the Mid Atlantic Boat and Sports Club (MABSC) and others converged at the Glebe Road residence of Hendrickson, offering condolences to family members.

Hendrickson was most recently a part of Commercial Division soccer outfit North Village Rams and was a keen Comet sailboat racer, having just taken over as vice-commodore of MAB&SC in November.

Many also told of his dedication to sports in the surrounding area as well as several other contributions to the community.

"He organised a lot of things with the junior sailors and was always willing to help out anytime he was in the area,'' said Odwin Berkeley, commodore of MABSC and a boyhood friend of Hendrickson. "He was always one to get things started.

"He will definitely be a miss, even for times when we just got together to shoot the breeze.

"We'd argue, fight and laugh together on and off the water.'' Berkeley pointed to a moment during an overseas international sailing regatta as one of his fondest and most comical memories of his mate.

With Berkeley skippering and Hendrickson as crew the pair stood last in a 30 boat fleet, battling light winds on the final windward leg.

"He was always a good crew, but this time he wouldn't do what I told him so I went upside his head,'' explained Berkeley.

"We began fighting right on the race course, forgetting about the boat, when all of a sudden the wind shifted all the way around and we ended up going from last to seventh.'' Meanwhile, North Village president Rudolph Hollis hailed Hendrickson was "more than just a football player, but a man who lived and did a lot in and for the community''.

The match has been rescheduled for next Tuesday at the same venue. The eventual winners of the replay between Village and Boulevard will meet Vasco in the semi finals next month.