During the first week of November, two daughters lost their father; Snow Lake lost a native son; Manitoba lost a premier musician and I lost my best friend. He was one and the same, and his name was Randy Booth.
Randy passed away in Winnipeg on Nov. 2 at the age of 53. He will have been memorialized in Snow Lake by the time people read this.
For days now, family and friends have gathered in our tight knit little community and they will for days to come as getting together and remembering Randy helps to ease the pain of this immense loss.
Randy was a bright, shining light in many of the lives he touched, and I feel fortunate to have been counted among his numerous friends across this province and throughout the country.
My friend Randy was a superb musician a consummate professional. For as long as I've known him, he has pushed himself to be the best he could possibly be at anything that he tried. Whether it was a game of bid whist, a tennis match, or plucking one of his numerous and beloved bass guitars; he always played to win and most often he stood out among his peers.
He was a sought after session player and producer who was also part of several popular bands over the past four decades. He played with groups ranging from Les Pucks to Harlequin, and Idle Eyes to Eagle & Hawk. He won a Juno Award in 2002 with Eagle & Hawk, but he was a stand out in every one of the bands he played in.
On Nov. 12 we will have gathered and memorialized Randy and sometime during the coming summer, people will once again gather to lay his worldly remains to rest. However, a little of this man's fine soul and certainly his memory will live on forever in all who knew him. Rest in peace my friend.
Another poignant memorial took place several weeks back when the local Legion held a respectful and touching candlelight ceremony in front of the community's Cenotaph on the evening of Nov. 3. The service was to remember and pay tribute to friends and family members who served their country in peacetime as well as past wars and conflicts.
The temperature was comfortable, but the wind was biting; nevertheless, those in attendance felt it was small price to pay in honouring those who have done so much for us.
During the 20-minute ceremony, there were candles lit for veterans of ancient conflicts dating back the Napoleonic and Crimean Wars, as well as the more recent Canadian combat in Afghanistan.
Joanne Bradley did a commendable job emceeing the service, as did all those who set it up and provided the candles and ice holders they were set in.
Once the candles had been laid and ceremony concluded, attendees made their way to the Legion Clubroom, where they met for coffee, cake, and fellowship.
At 8 a.m. the following morning, several of the candles lit at 6:30 p.m. the day before were still burning. No doubt the memories they evoked will burn much longer.
