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| Always there London, ON June 2018 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
Earlier today, we got the call that no child ever wants to get: He passed away.
On the one hand, he was 85. His health challenges in recent months have been overwhelming, and it's safe to say the life he was leading wasn't the kind of life anyone would ever wish for.
But still.
He's her dad. I called him dad.
He was larger than life from the moment 11-year-old Carmi first met him on his front porch on an early summer evening. It was years before I would even meet Debbie, and I delivered their paper over the summer while Debbie was away at camp.
He stood out from other customers. Always had a smile and a kind word. Always took the time to talk to me - remember, I was 11, and the sight of the paperboy coming to collect the week's subscription was usually enough to send homeowners scurrying behind their curtains.
He never scurried, and I always looked forward to the friendly man in the friendly house on Harvard Avenue. Years later, he welcomed me into the family with that same kindness as Debbie and I figured out the universe had plans for us. I hit the father-in-law jackpot. I'll miss him tremendously, and I'm far from the only one.
The coming days will be chaotic and hard, but we'll do what we've always done. Because that's what he taught us.
Thanks for the lessons, dad. We are who we are because of you.
#ldnont #montreal #lifeinthemargins #family #everything
My sympathy goes out to you and your wife, and to your extended family. It seems your father-in-law was a well-respected and well-loved gentleman, and I'm sure he will be missed.
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