A couple of years ago I had a great conversation with a guy and we discussed the human nature of waiting until death to say good things about people.

He said it was unfortunate but he could understand that few really wanted to read about themselves in glowing terms.

He said such a story would embarrass him.  We chuckled and I promised I would wait.

And I have. Bob Aylesworth died July 24.

What a delightful guy.

There are others to be sure that have made great scientific discoveries or found cures for this and that, but few indeed touched as many lives in a consistent and kind manner than Bob Aylesworth.

I remember when he opened Cochrane Dodge in the old curling rink, which was by the United Church.

It was dark and dingy inside as only unused curling rinks can be, but Bob was his usual positive, enthusiastic self and  instantly one was welcomed into his world.

A world of gratitude and genuine interest in the wellbeing of his fellow man.

He opened Cochrane Dodge Chrysler in 1985 when we had the Cochrane This Week newspaper and for some reason I had an old truck cap in my possesssion.
Maybe I took in payment for an ad or something, but it was pretty well beat up and was of no use to me so I dragged over to our new Dodge dealer in town, giving him the chance of a lifetime to sell it.

He mused  that if someone offered to buy a couple cups of coffee for it, I should accept the offer.

The next day Bob phoned and said he was buying the coffee.

Fine, I thought, I’m always good for a cuppa and when I got there he said, “Remember talking that about your old beatup cap was worth maybe a couple cups of coffee?”

“Yes,” I replied.

“Well,” he said, handing me a cup, “here’s 50 per cent of your payment. It was stolen last night.”

And it would never be seen again but far more important is the number of cups of coffee and visits I enjoyed with that guy over the years. And the number of times we regaled each other about the truck cap worth two cups of coffee.

And so my friend, I’ve waited until you won’t be embarrassed, but you will never be forgotten.

And you know, I should’ve done it while you were here.

A celebration of Bob’s life will be held at the Al Azhar Centre, 5225-101-St., N.W., July 30 from 1- 4 p.m. with tributes at 2 p.m.

This guy was an incredible asset to our community so let’s start a new trend in his honour, let’s say nice things about good folks while they can hear us.
Bob would appreciate that.

Veterinarian Libby Fulton (left) of Arrowhead Veterinary Centre says goodbye after she amputated one of this kitten’s front legs. Her name is now Lucy and she has a new home with Kiley Whital holding her and mother Cheryl, right. The kitten was brought to Arrowhead after being found severely injured in a ditch near Water Valley. (Photo by Jack Tennant)

Numbers guy

Speaking of nice things and great guys,  the next time you see Glen Gryzko tell him you’re glad he’s part of our community. He’s very much still here and his accounting firm is celebrating 20 years of accounting in Cochrane.

Originally he’s another Manitoba farm kid, so it’s no surprise at all that he’s done well, but more importantly he’s a valuable asset to our community in many ways.

He’s a Rotarian  and  he and his wife devote many hours to all sorts of community projects. So congratulations to the gang at GryzkoHarperBouw for 20 years. Well done.

The Eagle turns 8

This is a long way from 20 years, but not surprisingly it impresses me to no end.

Aug. 1 marks the eighth birthday of the mighty Cochrane Eagle.

Yep, our first paper was Aug. 1, 2001, and it’s been a great ride and the neat thing is it’s not over yet. All those years and we’ve only lost one editor and no publishers — must be some sort of record these days.

Just a quick calculation, but in those eight years that’s about 420 newspapers every Wednesday. That calculates to about 420 front pages and every single one has always been a full page photo.
Just for the record.

Out of those 420 front page photos I’ve had one. I think Pat Price was out of town.

Old games

I spent some time last weekend in  Airdrie attending the 55-plus games and what a great event it was. More than 800 volunteers, more than 1,100 participants and there wasn’t a hotel or motel room available. Every restaurant was jammed, so guess what — the 2013 games are up for bid.
It should be Cochrane, so let’s get started. We could do a great job.

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