Reid Campbell

Reid and I were friends through my teenage years until my final visit to London in 2007. He had left his family some time before that and seemed to have embraced a road I could not share, even for a brief visit. He had been a great friend and never turned me away, even in my most desperate times he was always generously opening his door. We had some epic times. On the Saturday he left us I watched a David Bowie documentary and reminisced of the concert we went to in maybe 1982 in Toronto, two rows from the front and its always been a great memory for me. We also happened to see Joe Carter hit that home run for the World Series winning Blue Jays. We were jumping all over the room like little kids. He was such a seriously smart guy. He never did bullshit, always honest. Never carried an ego. He almost killed us on my motorcycle on Wellington St. one night coming back from a last minute beer run. I have experienced what I choose to call divine intervention twice in my life, and that night was one. It intervened to stop those two tires from sliding any further, at the last possible second, preventing a head-on. (Reid had God-given talent on a bike, I am sure he could have been a very successful racer). I am also equally convinced he saved my life many times over. He had wise guidance that I valued and I know it helped me navigate some life decisions. It was like he had already done this ‘life thing’ before. He never carried an ego. I have never seen him embrace violence, even when he had an undeniable right to it. It was part of his rational thinking that I never saw fail him. Reid got to spend most of his years with his one true love Virginia and helped bring their beautiful children into this world. So he has left this place early but not without having experienced a significant life that positively influenced many. I will continue to remember him with respect and love, happy to know that I was lucky to know him and privileged to have been friends. Good bye Reid, and thank you. Rest well, see you again.