For many people December is a time of joy, of eager anticipation. We don the holiday colours, the ugly sweaters, eat too much and drink more than we should. We spend hours searching for the one special gift that will stand out for the recipient. We laugh, we sing, we party.
But for many in our community, this is a bittersweet time, a time to reflect on Christmases past when our families were intact and all the important faces were crowded around the tree.
This past fall has been one of great sorrow for me personally and for many folks I hold in high regard. Since late October, my Rotary family has said goodbye to three stellar members.
Don Ewing was the first to leave us. He was an amazing man. In all the time I knew him, there was never a time when he didn’t volunteer to help with any and all projects. He was a Rotarian for many years, and if you look around Sechelt at the washrooms in Hackett Park, the facilities at Davis Bay and the Rotary Friendship Park on the waterfront, you’ll see the long shadow Don cast. From the time the latter park was conceived until the big Rotary wheel went up, Don spent almost every day supervising. At the time he was in his late 70s, and whether the weather was fine or foul, Don was there. And Rotary wasn’t the only organization to benefit from his commitment. Don was a longtime member of the Coast Community Builders Association. He was the essence of a community citizen. He remains my role model.
The second Rotary member to make his final exit was my friend Al Mulholland. He was a man larger than life. With a laugh that turned heads blocks away, Al was a joy to be around. While he was the executive director of Community Futures on the Coast, Al brought many important projects to fruition. Every community on the Coast has an improved waterfront thanks in no small part to Al’s diligence. He prided himself on being a super salesman, and indeed he still holds the record for selling the most Rotary calendars in our club. If you’d like to remember this fine man, drop $20 the next time you see a Rotarian with a calendar for sale. Al would have appreciated the gesture.
And just a week ago, we were devastated to hear of the passing of Midge Nanson. Along with her family and many friends on the Sunshine Coast, we can’t believe this vivacious, beautiful woman is no longer here. In her time with Rotary, Midge did so many things I don’t have room to list them here. And I know of at least one other group, the Cops For Cancer Ladies Gala, where she made a huge difference. She had a smile that could light up any room and always a ready hug. We loved her.
To all who are hurting, my sincere condolences. The only consolation is the world was a better place for having had these wonderful people in it.
