Cousin Dennis Celebration
Life changed dramatically when older cousin Dennis roll through our small rural British Columbia town in 1977.
He was so very kind to take a 14-year-old boy to the record store—buying Led Zeppelin IV and the double album—Waiting for Columbus, by Little Feat.
Here the life long love of music was consolidated on side-one, song-one—”Black Dog” on Led Zeppelin IV.
Note: Maggie May sparked the love of music by taking her child to classical and jazz concerts from ΩNE’s earliest memories.
Dennis was a true music fan and would travel great distances around North America to see all the contemporary acts of the 70.
Undeniably a man of his time, he lived his life to the fullest—his own way.
He choose a life of tough seasonal work in the harsh-frigid environments of northern Canada, where he constructed pipelines, and for most of his adult life, as the foreman.
Never one to sit in an office all day, he only worked these lucrative seasonal jobs, spend his precious time living his life according to his own principles.
One summer Dennis rolled through our town with his airstream in tow.
“I am on my way to ‘babysit’ a mining camp while it is idled for the summer.” He said to me joyously while tuning up his dirt-bike.
For certain his Husqvarna dirt-bike allowed him to savour the meaning of true freedom in northern Canada and what it means to be truly alive.
Dennis was a pescatarian, didn’t smoke, and only drank socially.
Perhaps, seeing his own father die early of a heart attack due to an unhealthy life style made him conscientious of his own health and mortality.
Unfortunately, there is nothing that can stop the hands of time, and there always comes the time, when one no longer has any time left at all.
Just a brief time ago Maggie May called to say beloved cousin Dennis had stage 4 esophageal cancer, which had spread to his lungs and marrow.
Time ran out for Dennis soon after that fateful call from Maggie May.
Beloved cousin Dennis died and became a God on November 24, 2022 at 03:12 at the young age of 68—his life come and gone, in the twinkle of an eye.
The last time to every speak to Dennis was to invite him to come to a grand party in celebration of one’s father’s 85th, and Maggie May’s 80th.
The plan was to gather the greater clan and unite around the elders to venerate and honour them—as it should be.
Much to our dismay, traveling was not possible at the start of the age of Corona in early 2020, thus, the once-in-a-lifetime party never occurred.
Moreover, the opportunity to see beloved Dennis one more last time was not to be, alas with much sorrow.
However, the very fond and pleasant memories of this special man will continue to warm one’s heart until the end of one own time.
Thank you Dennis for giving your brotherly love to a little boy, and for treating me like your friend.
