FRANCES DAFOE
When Frances Dafoe passed away on Sept. 23 at age 86, it marked the end of an era in Canadian skating history.
Dafoe and her partner, Norris Bowden, claimed four national pairs titles (1952- 1955), and the 1952 Canadian ice dance crown. They finished second at the 1953 World Championships, missing the top step of the podium by one-tenth of a point.
Dafoe and Bowden, the first Canadian pairs team to claim a World title, won consecutive titles in 1954 and 1955, and claimed silver at the 1956 Olympic Winter Games.
The duo is credited with being the first to do a twist lift, an overhead lasso lift, throw jump and the “leap of faith,” a move later popularized by Barbara Underhill and Paul Martini.
Dafoe and Bowden…
