Monday, November 13, 2023
I am deeply saddened that my longtime friend Gord departed this world. We were close friends for almost 50 years. He had a wonderful sense of humour, was a great story teller and "shenaniganator", and he had a huge heart and great affinity for the very best of music. In his time, he moved all across Canada, worked at several different and challenging jobs, and had a family. He was always kind to me, my friends and my children and was very much the kind of big guy you just wanted to party with and have on your side.
Although we met in the West Island of Montreal in our late teenage years, my favourite memory of my time with him was while we both lived in Calgary, Alberta in the early 1980s. By then, we were already 'old friends'. One Winter's evening at his house, we listened to Simon & Garfunkel's 'Book Ends' album, which features a great song called "Old Friends", some Procol Harum, J. Geils Band and lots of other great tunes, while imbibing good 'Single Malt' Scotch.
The next morning we tobogganed on the hill in front of his house where we scared all the kids off the hill. I can vividly picture us that cold and crispy, yet sunny winter morning, sporting our green 'army surplus' parkas, toques and big 'Sorel' boots; Two large, long-haired, wild-eyed, bearded "hosers", 'bombing' down the long hill behind the school just across the street from his house yelling "LOOKOUT BELOW!!!" They did. And as we made more runs down the hill, all the smaller kids departed...
Goodbye "Hose-head", Chumley, Gord... I'll miss ya, you big lug!
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