Aaker Funeral Home

Quesnell died in his home Monday. He was 91.Family and friends remember the longtime boxing coach and promoter for his toughness, his marketing ability, a behind-the-scenes soft side and his willingness to extend a hand to those in need.Quesnell was the driving force behind Grand Forks' string of boxing talent—run through a program called Boxing Inc., a group most notably featuring future star Virgil Hill but also Harold Miller, Mark Strickland and Jason Aaker.Boxing Inc., started in the security building in downtown Grand Forks until the fire during the 1997 flood, which forced the group to mostly work out of the YMCA.Diddy knew all of the biggest names in boxing. He joked with Muhammad Ali, had dinner with Don King, weighed in Sugar Ray Leonard, Larry Holmes, Ken Norton, Evander Holyfield and more.Kevin Grosz started boxing with Quesnell as a 19-year-old in 1979. He later refereed and judged matches, then helped take over the local gym to coach when Diddy retired.Grosz remembers how Diddy connected with all of the big boxing names. He recalls how Diddy came up with a point system to rank boxers and hold tournaments."He was a master fundraiser," Grosz said. "He never took no for an answer."Quesnell came up with innovative ideas to hold boxing matches in Grand Forks, from holding events between basketball games at Hyslop Sports Center to putting up a ring on a stage at Chester Fritz Auditorium.Foley remembers Quesnell's third-floor office in the security building, where he had photos and memorabilia of all of Grand Forks' well-known athletes—from the Purpurs to the Gambuccis to Cliff Cushman."They knew Diddy and Diddy knew them," Foley said. "That's just how it was."Quesnell was on United States' Olympic boxing coaching staffs in international competition in Thailand, Germany and Canada. He also served with the 1996 Olympic team in Atlanta.Quesnell, born in 1926 in Crookston, Minn., first became a member of the Grand Forks YMCA in 1938 and attended Grand Forks Central High School, where he met his future wife Margaret, who died in 1998.Aft...