A Memory

Last week my city hosted the Grey Cup. The cost of security for the coveted cup was all over the news, and CBC reported how the CFL had sprung for a helicopter to fly the trophy into the city to ensure it's safety. I had to smile as I listened to the report and remembered how the cup sat in various spots around our home one summer in the 70's. My sister even dragged it over to some friends home who didn't believe we had it and they almost fell over when they saw it. Somewhere in my parents cache of photos are pictures of us standing proudly with it. It then triggered a memory of a dear family friend. His name was Bobby Simpson. He lived around the corner from us. He and his wife Mary were good friends of my parents, and I knew his daughter. It was because of his friendship with our family that the cup landed on Barnes Crescent. I had not thought about Bob for years, but I thought of thim that Grey Cup weekend and and wondered how he and his family were doing.

I got a call from my mother this week informing me that Bobby had passed away. I think he was just shy of his 78th birthday. Bobby Simpson was an amazing football player. He played for the Ottawa Rough Riders back in the day when the CFL was a big deal (well bigger than today). I didn't see him play, because he had retired by the time I started frequenting the games with my father. Bobby was a big man. He had the biggest hands I have ever seen and a loud, booming voice. You could always hear him coming a block away. There was great excitement when he entered a room and his laugh was infectious. But Bobby also had a big heart, and for that I will remember him most. He used to come to our home on the 24th of December dressed as Santa Claus, bellowing Merry Christmas to all and gathering us up in his large arms. We looked forward to his arrival.

I am sorry for Bobby's passing, and today I think of his family and the great loss they must be feeling... I can only hope they find peace in the knowledge that he brought so much joy to so many folks, including a young girl who lived around the corner.